


Moving In and Moving On

by hoffkk



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Humor, Multi, Roommates, Tension, Thelicity, olicity - Freeform, renea, season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2018-10-08 04:45:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 56,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10378686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoffkk/pseuds/hoffkk
Summary: When Felicity gets kicked out of her apartment and moves in with Thea and Oliver, relationships old and new are put to the test.  Some ignite with sparks flying everywhere, while others flame-out.  The question is... who can stand the heat?





	1. Looking out for Family

**Author's Note:**

> This is an original story idea for the characters of Arrow, taking place during the second half of season 5. It is not really an AU but more a twist of events. This was born from my strong dislike of Susan Williams and her relationship with Oliver. Lol. I also wanted to explore Thea's relationship with Felicity and Rene, so yeah. This was the product. Hope you like the story-line and where it leads. Also, I apologize for any spelling/grammatical errors.
> 
> WARNING: Foul language is used throughout the story. You have been warned.

Thea exited the elevator and walked into the home of Team Arrow, scanning the room for the Green Arrow himself aka her big brother.  She was going to see if Oliver wanted to grab a late dinner together, so Thea figured she would stop by headquarters and see him.  Hearing the whir of the computers and seeing the walls and tables filled with an array of weapons, gadgets, and super suits, Thea felt a little pang of nostalgia hit her chest.  She really missed being a member of the team, even more so after her temporary reinstatement to fight the aliens, but she knew that taking some time off had been the right move to make and still was.

As she took a breath and brushed off the melancholy thoughts, she noticed Oliver was nowhere in sight but a particular blonde genius sat in front of the computer system, zipping back and forth on her rolling chair, checking the different monitors for information.  She was moving so fast and frazzled-like that Thea had to hold back a laugh.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Thea teased as she shot a quick text to Oliver about dinner, but Felicity was too engrossed in her tech to respond.  As she moved closer to stand beside her blonde friend, Thea pocketed her phone and decided frazzled wasn't the right word.  Based on the frustrated look on her face, the crease in her forehead, the loose hair falling from her ponytail, and the amount of "fracks" she was uttering, Felicity was somewhere between completely stressed out and totally pissed off.  Feeling concern for her friend, Thea spoke again, "Felicity... is everything okay?"

"Frack!" Felicity spat, hitting the table top with her palm, then spun in her chair to face Thea.  Brushing her loose locks behind her ears, she slumped against her seat and sighed.  "I am _so_ screwed."

"Why?  What's going on? What is all this?" Thea queried, gesturing to the computer monitors.

"The one on the end is running some trace we found on Prometheus, the other two I am using to cross reference apartment listings, prices, and locations in Star City."

"You're apartment hunting?  I don't understand.  What happened to your place?" Thea asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"Nothing... I just kinda sorta got evicted."  Felicity stated sheepishly.

"You 'kinda sorta got evicted'?" Thea repeated with a laugh.  "What did you do? Adopt too many cats or was it the stray vigilantes you took in that were the last straw." She teased, taking a seat next to her in Curtis's rolling chair.

" _Neither_ ," Felicity said dryly.  "I messed up on some paperwork.  The thin is... they send the same forms every year about a month before the lease is up.  If you want to renew the lease, you're suppose to sign them and send them into the apartment's office manager,  but of course I forgot, and now I am being kicked out."

"No offense, " Thea began.  "but how exactly do you forget something like that?  I mean, that is a pretty important thing to forget and, let's face it, you're the most responsible one of us all."

"Yeah, well, " Felicity paused briefly, her expression turning sorrowful.  "the paperwork came in the mail shortly after Billy...you know... and for the first couple of weeks  after I was too numb when I got home at night to do anything normal like cleaning or cooking a real meal or--"

"Going through the mail." Thea added somberly, sorry she even asked.  She knew what it felt like to lose someone and didn't want to make anyone else live or relive that kind of pain if she could help it.

"Yeah," Felicity nodded solemnly.  "Then stuff was going on with Diggle, and we had to find a new Black Canary, and Prometheus started to escalate even more... it was literally one thing after another.  By the time I finally did go through my mail and managed to open the letter, the renewal date had already past."

"That... that sucks." Thea sympathized before continuing on.  "But what if you called the office manager or whoever it is that's in charge.  Maybe if you explained the situation--"

Felicity cut her off.  "I already tried.  He just said 'rules are rules' and that the apartment was already being rented to someone else, so there was nothing he could do."

"Man,  people in this town can be real assholes."  Thea replied, then, after thinking back on the countless enemies she had dealt with over the last few years, she added, "But then again I already knew that."  Felicity nodded her agreement, knowing exactly what her friend meant, then listened as Thea continued.  "It's okay though.  We can bounce back from this.  We'll find you a new place in no time."

Felicity smiled a small smile, liking that Thea automatically said "we" and basically told her that she wasn't alone in this. It lifted some of the weight she had been carrying on her shoulders.  "Thanks, Thea.  I really appreciate the help, especially since 'no time' is exactly what I have."

"What do you mean?" Thea questioned.

"Well, at the end of my conversation with the apartment's office manager, he told me I had 3 days to evacuate the building." Felicity revealed the real issue.

"Three days!?" Thea repeated exasperatedly.

"Technically," Felicity paused to glance at the silver watch on her left wrist.  "It's now more like 2 days and 6 hours."

"Oh, yeah, because that's much better." Thea responded, voice laced heavily with sarcasm.

"You're telling me. That's why I've been here for the last two hours scowering the internet for a new place." Felicity answered.

"Did you find any leads?" Inquired Thea.

"Nope." Felicity responded, popping the 'p' for emphasis.  Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot available in my price range, and the ones I can afford are all pieces of crap."

"You just gotta keep looking.  I'm sure the perfect place is out there waiting for you." Thea tried to keep positive.

"I don't have time for perfect." Felicity complained, removing her glasses and wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

It got quiet for a moment until Thea spoke up, "Have you tried looking into renting houses?"

"I did.  Turns out the housing market isn't much better." Felicity said, annoyance evident in her voice.

"Well, there has to be something out there for you.  Show me some of the contenders." Thea commanded sweetly.

With a sigh, Felicity put her glasses back on and turned to face the nearest monitor.  With a few strokes of the keyboard, she made several small windows pop up on the screen.

After a long moment of browsing, Thea finally replied, "These aren't so bad... I'm mean that one is... it's sort of..." Thea trailed off, trying to find something nice to say, but when the words didn't come, she decided to be honest.  "Okay.  You're right.  They're crap."

"Told you." Felicity said, slumping back in her chair in defeat.

"I mean, if this is the best you can find, you are probably better off living down here." Thea said jokingly, gesturing around the basement they were currently in.

"That's not a bad idea." Felicity said suddenly, sitting up in her seat.

"Felicity, I was kidding." Thea spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Yeah, but I'm not." Felicity tossed back.  "I could rent a storage locker for most of my things and just keep a box or two of the necessities down here.  Oliver's still got that cot somewhere, right?" Felicity asked as she began glancing around the room.

"Felicity, look at me..." Thea spoke seriously as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder to regain her attention.  "You are not living in a basement."

"I  know it's not the Four Seasons, but it would just be temporary until I found something better.  This way, I won't be rushed into making a decision I'll regret." Felicity explained.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that." Thea said, thinking she was doing just that.

"Well, unless you can find me an livable, affordable apartment, preferably with wood floors and a spectacular view, then I am doing this ." Felicity told her.

Thea thought for a moment and as she imagined the apartment Felicity described, she found herself picturing her own apartment.  It was at the moment, she had the perfect idea.

"Live with me." Thea blurted out, wondering why she didn't think of this sooner.

"Seriously?" Felicity questioned, surprised at her generous offer.

"Why not?" Thea retorted.  "It's got the floors, the view, plenty of space..."

"And an Oliver." Felicity replied, giving Thea a pointed look.  "Don't you think that will be a bit awkward?"

"It'll be fine.  It's like you said before... it would be temporary, just until you found something better." Thea argued.  "Anyway, between you day jobs and your night jobs, you will barely be at the apartment together other than to sleep at night."

Felicity bit her lip and thought about it.  Thea made good points, and what was the alternative?  A high tech yet creepy basement? 

"You sure Oliver will be okay with this?" Felicity said finally.

"Of course.  Trust me, he wouldn't want you living down here anymore than I do.  Besides, my name is on the lease, not his, so when it comes down to it, his opinion technically doesn't matter.

Felicity shook her head and smiled.  She wasn't so sure about that logic, but she knew that this offer was something she couldn't refuse.  It wasn't like she would be there that long anyway, so she took a deep breath and said, "All right, let's do it."

"Really?" Thea said excitedly.

"Yeah, if you're really sure about this." Felicity answered.

"Totally... _roomie_." Thea replied with a smile, playfully nudging her on the shoulder.

Felicity smiled at the thought of that.  She hadn't had a roommate since college, and they did _not_ get along very well.  This was going to be a new experience, a better and more enjoyable experience.

"Well," Felicity began as he shut down her computer system.  "I guess I better go home and start packing."

Thea's phone vibrated with a text, so she quickly checked the message and replied.  With a small smile, she slid her phone back into the pocket of her brown leather jacket, then responded to Felicity, "Looks like I'm meeting Ollie for dinner at Big Belly Burger.  I stop by after and help you pack.   We can make it a slumber/packing party." 

"Sounds perfect... a slacking party! Wait, that sounds like we are gonna be slackers, which obviously were not since we are gonna be packing my stuff which is actually pretty productive.  So, it's more like a plumber party! Wait, now it sounds like we have a thing for plumbers..." Felicity trailed off, trying to remash the words in her head.

"Why don't we just call it a girls' night?" Thea suggested.

"I like it.  Simple yet accurate."  Felicity nodded her approval.

"Girls' night it is." Thea peeked at the time on her phone to see it was nearly 7:30pm, then went on.  "I'll be over around 8:30, 9:00 at the latest."

"I'll be waiting." Felicity stood with a grin, glad to have a friend like Thea in her corner.

Thea stood as well and turned to leave when Felicity called out, "Thea?"

Pivoting on her left foot, she spun halfway around and said, "Yeah?"

"Are you gonna tell Oliver?  At dinner, I mean... about me moving in?  I figure you are, and you totally should. We don't exactly have a lot of time to do so.  It's just, if you want, I could--" Felicity started to offer.

However, Thea lifted a hand and cut her off.  "I got this.  No worries."

Felicity gave a curt nod and turned to grab her purse.  Thea turned back around and took one step before pausing again at  Felicity's voice.

"Thea?" She called out once more.

"Yes?" Thea said, turning the same way she did before. Her voice came out partly amused because the situation was kind of funny with Felicity calling her back again and again, but also partly annoyed because she was beginning to get hangry which was evident by the growling in her stomach that was picking up speed.

"Thanks." Felicity said sweetly, coming to give her best friend a quick buy tight hug, showing her how much she appreciated her generosity.

A little surprised at her friend's actions, Thea just stood there for a second before hugging back.  When they separated, Thea simply shrugged and said, "Your family, and if there is anything Queens actually do right around here, it's look out for their family."

"Very true." Felicity agreed, then held out her elbow and added, "Shall we?"

Linking their arms, the girls made their way out to the parking lot together before going their separate ways, both feeling grateful for their friendship and the happiness it brings them.  They may have each lost a lot of people over the years that they will never get back, but luckily they have found at least one that is for keeps... a best friend, a roommate, a _sister_.


	2. Oh, Brother!

Thea parked her motorcycle, the one thing she just couldn't give up from her superhero life, outside of Big Belly Burger, hung her helmet on the handlebar, and ran a hand through her short bob haircut as she walked inside the establishment.

Her black boots clacked against the linoleum floor as she made her way to her usual booth in the back, taking in the hum of the later dinner crowd.  As she got closer, she saw Oliver was already sitting there, playing on his phone.  As if he could sense her presence, he looked up a second later and smiled.

"Hey." Thea greeted happily.

Oliver replied in kind as he stood to give his baby sister a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.  Once they both sat down he said, "I'm glad you texted.  I was in need of a little normal after all this Prometheus business. Maybe we should make this Friday night dinner a weekly thing."

"I'd like that." Thea told him, and she meant it.  It would be nice to have something constant in their busy, chaotic lives.   I mean, they do live together, but with their crazy schedules, dinner together was pretty hit or miss.

Just then, the waitress, a young red head with freckles on her nose who couldn't have been older than 17, came over and took their order.  She was sweet but quite out of sorts.  This was clearly her first waitress job if not her first job all together.  After the girl, whose name tag said Lizzie, fumbled through their order and took it back to the kitchen, Thea drummed her finger tips on the table and spoke, "So..."

"So..." Oliver repeated, then went on.  "I--

"Look, Ollie," Thea cut off, launching into her spiel.  "I don't want you to think I have some ulterior motive for inviting you out, but something has actually come up recently that we should talk about." Thea began hesitantly.  She told Felicity that Oliver would be fine with her decision to let Felicity move in, but in reality, she wasn't so sure.  Chances were he'd be angry to at least some extent, but Thea knew Oliver would get over it and accept it one way or another.  He had to.

"Okaaay." Oliver replied, eyeing his sister suspiciously.

"The thing is, Felicity kind sorta got evicted from her apartment." Thea said, a small smirk gracing her lips at the use of Felicity's words.

"What? How?"  Oliver queried, suddenly very concerned.

"It's a long story... _especially_ the way Felicity tells it," Thea informed him, then continued.  "but the gist is she messed up some paperwork."

"Ah." Oliver responded.

"Yup," Thea retorted. "Anyway, she was full freak-out when I found her a little bit ago in the lair, having to be out of the apartment by Sunday and having nowhere decent to go."

"I could imagine." Oliver nodded with a frown, hating the mental picture he was imagining of an upset Felicity.  The more he thought about the situation, the more his jaw began to tick.

"All right, here you go--oh!" Lizzie, the waitress, said as she handed them their glasses of water.  Only, when she gave Thea hers, she knocked Oliver's over on the tray, spilling it all over the floor.  "I'll be right back!" The redhead told them then dashed away, probably for a rag or mop or something of the sort.

"So, anyway," Thea spoke up once more, wrapping a hand around the cold glass in front of her, wanting to get this out.  " I did the natural best friend thing and gave her a shoulder to lean on... and an apartment to stay in." Thea added the latter quickly then took a swift drink of water.

"You... what?" Oliver asked, not sure he heard her right.

"I invited her stay with us." Thea said once more.  "It was either that or she was gonna move herself into the arrow cave, and I couldn't let her do that."

"No, you couldn't." Oliver replied, thinking back to when he had done so.  It was not an ideal living arrangement to say the least.  "You did the right thing."

"So, you aren't mad?"  Thea quirked a brow at him. 

"No, I'm not mad."  Oliver answered.  "I'm actually quite proud."  He revealed as his facial features began to soften.

A small smile graced Thea's lips momentarily before she responded. "I mean, I get that this may be a little awkward for you, considering your history and all, but..."

"You did the right thing." He told her.  "Besides, Felicity and I..." He hesitated a moment, getting quiet while the waitress returned with a new water and quickly mopped the mess.

Thea wasn't sure whether the pause was because of the waitress's presence or because he wasn't sure of what he was about to say, but when he finished the thought a few seconds later, she had a feeling it was the latter.

"Felicity and I... are in the past." He went on to finish.  "We are still good friends, but we have both moved on romantically, so there is nothing to worry about.  I'm with Susan now."

"Right.  How could I forget?" Thea said cynically, suddenly wishing the clear liquid in her glass was _much_ stronger.

Oliver sighed and told her, "You know, if you gave her a chance, you may actually like her."

"Doubtful." Thea tossed back.

"Why?" Oliver probed.  "Because she is a reporter?"

"No," She retorted.  "because she is a reporter who attacks you at every chance she gets."

"That's not true." Oliver told her, defending his girlfriend.

"Ollie, she came at you guns blazing the minute you became mayor." Thea argued.

"That was different," Oliver began.  "We didn't know each other back then.  Besides, she was just doing her job."

Thea rolled her eyes and fired back, "And I suppose she was just doing her job two weeks ago when she threatened to out you as the Green Arrow and ruin your mayoral career."

"She wouldn't have actually done it." Oliver argued.

"Only because I ruined her career first." Thea told him, crossing her arms to show him she wasn't gonna budge on the Susan issue.

Reading her body language and understanding the underlying meaning, Oliver decided to try a different tactic to get through to her and said, "Yes, you did, but you righted that wrong."

"So?" Thea said sassily.

"So, you did that because deep down you like Susan and you know she is a good person." Oliver explained.

"No, I did it for you..." Thea clarified.  "and because I didn't want to be my mother's daughter, not in that way.  Trust me, it had nothing to do with _her_."

"Maybe, maybe not."  Oliver replied, unconvinced of his sister's motivations.

"Definitely _not_."  Thea all but growled.  "That woman is a bi--"

"Thea!" Oliver cut her off, his voice soft yet harsh.  "That's _enough_... and when did you get so judgmental?"

"Oh, I don't know... maybe around the time you started holding to me and Susan to a ridiculous double standard." Thea informed him, tone dripping with sarcasm.

"What?"  He responded completely baffled.

"Oh, come on, Oliver." Thea retorted.  "I'm not stupid and neither are you... _most of the time_."  She added the last bit under her breath.

"Thea, I honestly don't know what you're talking about." Oliver said seriously, trying to understand.

"I'm talking about the fact that Susan has tried to destroy _your_ reputation multiple times over, and you treat _her_ like an angel who can do no wrong."  Thea took a breath and then continued.  "Meanwhile, _I_ do one little thing that damages _her_ reputation, all for the sake of protecting you might I add, and you treat _me_ like I am the spawn of the devil."

"Are you referring to mom or Merlyn?"  Oliver asked curiously.

" _Not_ the point, Ollie." Thea spat, irritation clear in her voice.

"Right, sorry." He said, shaking his head and getting back on track.  "But you're wrong."

"About being the spawn of the devil?" Thea queried.  "Or about the double standard."

"Both."  Oliver said simply.

Thea didn't say anything, just took another sip of water and rolled her eyes yet again.   When she set down her glass, Oliver grabbed her arm tenderly and spoke softly, "You are a _good_ person, Thea... and _so_ is Susan."

Pulling her arm back into her chest, Thea glared at her brother and said, "No, that woman is toxic.  She is slowly and deliberately poisoning your life, and you refuse to see it."

It was Oliver's turn to roll his eyes as he told her, "You're being a bit melodramatic, don't you think?"

"And you're being an ignorant ass, don't you think?" Thea tossed right back.

Before Oliver couldn't come up with a decent reply to his brat of a sister, a familiar voice interrupted them.

"Hey, guys.  Fancy meeting you here."  Susan smiled, standing there in her perfectly pressed suit with her perfectly done make-up and perfectly curled hair.  Man, Thea wanted to slap her.  However, she managed to restrain herself, squeezing a hand around her drink instead, her knuckles turning white in the process.

"Hi." Oliver said, while Thea faked a smile.

Susan wasn't stupid, she could sense the heir of hostility around the table as soon as she looked back and forth between the Queen siblings.  Not wanting to step on any toes she questioned, "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes." Thea said at the exact same time that Oliver said, "No."

Oliver gave Thea a hard look that said _behave_ then moved his gaze back to his girlfriend.

"Okaaay." Susan replied, not sure what to think.

"Susan, please, join us." Oliver said, moving to stand so he could let Susan slide in the booth.

Susan smiled her thanks, and took a step forward before stopping in her tracks at Thea's request.

"Wait..." Thea called out.  "I don't mean to be rude," _Like I really give a damn,_ she thought to herself. "but this is sort of a family thing, so..."

"Oh, I didn't realize... Oliver didn't mention that when he invited me along." Susan explained.

"I'm sorry, He _invited_ you?" Thea inquired.

"Yeah, I called Oliver right after you text messaged him and -- and apparently he didn't tell you any of this." Susan noted.

"That would be a no." Thea retorted, giving her brother a subtle form of the stink eye.

Oliver gave a sheepish smile, then began to speak, "I was about to, but Thea didn't give me the chance.  She was too excited to tell me some news of her own."

 _Fair enough._   Thea thought. Then it occurred to her that Oliver was very vague about her news.  He was probably thinking that Susan wouldn't be too thrilled to know that that news involved him living with his ex-fiancée.  There was clearly only one thing Thea could do here...

"Oliver's right."  Thea smiled, making Oliver grow suspicious.  "I was just so excited to announce that we are getting a new roommate.  You know Felicity, right?"

To her credit, Susan kept her emotions in check and her face remained unchanged, but Thea learned to read people pretty well, and could tell that by the slight tick of the jaw that Susan was perturbed.

"Felicity Smoak? As in your ex? " Susan asked Oliver after a second, though she already knew the answer.

Thea spoke up first and answered, "That's the one, but that's old news.  Felicity is actually one of closest friends, so when she mentioned needing a new place to stay, I jumped at the offer.  I mean, what are friends for, right?" Before Susan or Oliver could say anything else, Thea carried on with the conversation.  "Speaking of, I should get going, I promised Felicity I would be over to help pack."

With that Thea rose to stand, and, as if on cue, Lizzie stumbled her way back over with their tray of food.  Luckily, the waitress messed up and made their orders to go, so Thea quickly swiped her bag and said, "See you guys later!"  Then with a light wave of the hand, she was gone.

Oliver rubbed his temple as he promised to himself that he would get back at Thea for this.  Meanwhile, Susan stood there and adjusted her purse as she took a calming breath.

"Um...I'm sorry.  Did I do something wrong?"  Lizzie inquired, feeling totally lost.

Oliver felt bad for the girl, so he just said, "No, you're fine."

The waitress smiled and handed him his to go bag then peered at Susan and asked, "Will there be anything else?"

Oliver looked to Susan as well who let out an irritated sigh, slid into the booth opposite Oliver, and said, "I'll take a crispy chicken salad.  Bleu cheese dressing on the side."

Lizzie quickly scribbled a few notes on her small notepad and dashed off, leaving the two alone.

Oliver removed his food from the bag and set it out in front of him, but decided he would do the gentlemanly thing and wait to eat until Susan had her food.  So, they both just sat there for a long moment in awkward silence.

Finally, Susan said, "So, your ex is moving in with you."

"Yes." Oliver answered.

"And Thea just allowed her to without asking you?" Susan queried.

"Pretty much.  I mean, technically speaking, it's her apartment, so it's her decision." Oliver explained.

"But you live there too.  You should get a say in the matter."  Susan told him.

"I did get a say, and I said it was okay, so there is nothing to worry about."  He said, reaching for her hand, but Susan pulled it away and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You told her it was okay for Felicity to move in?" Susan said skeptically.

"Yes, I did." Oliver replied.

"Without talking to me about it first?" She asked, tone more harsh than before.

"I didn't realize I needed your permission." He responded, starting to feel a little annoyed himself.

Susan let out a breath and said, "You don't, but it would be nice if you took a moment to consider my feelings, to consider how your current girlfriend might feel about you shacking up with the woman you almost _married_."

"I... you're right.  I should have checked with you about this situation."  Oliver admitted.

"Yes, you should have." Susan nodded in agreement.

"And I promise I will next time, and I also promise that Felicity moving in is not going to change anything between us."

"Okay," Susan said, finally relenting to those steel blue, puppy dog eyes, and intertwining her hand with Oliver's, wanting to believe the words he spoke.

"Okay." Oliver repeated with a soft smile.  "So are we good?"

"Yeah, we're good." Susan replied with grin of her own.

Moments later, Susan's food arrived, and they proceeded to enjoy their meal together.

On the outside, it appeared to be a normal date.  On the inside, however, they both had their reservations, all starting with one question...

 

Can Oliver _really_ keep his promise?


	3. Make Me

Thea sat on a worn crate on the roof of the mayoral office building that also served as Team Arrow’s current lair, nibbling on her Big Belly deluxe burger as she gazed out at the cityscape in the distance.  The lights of the buildings laid out in front of her sparkled in the darkness like dozens of man-made constellations that were created just for her.  Some people bird watched, others people watched, but Thea… she liked to city watch. 

Ever since she lost her mom, it sort of became her thing, sneaking away to rooftops and breathing in the city.  It made Thea feel small, reminding her that she wasn't the only one out there with problems and a messed up life.  Usually, it had a calming effect on her, especially when food was involved... but tonight?  Not so much.  As pretty as the view was and as delicious as her burger tasted, Thea still had a sour stomach after dealing with her brother.

How could Oliver date that woman?  More importantly, how could he invite Susan to dinner with them and _not_ tell her?  He clearly knows how Thea feels about her.  Although, the more she thought about it, that was probably the reason Oliver did what he did, his way of making them bond or something.

 _"Well, your plan failed, Ollie.  Too bad, so sad!"_ Thea thought to herself.

Even though she managed to play it (relatively) cool at the restaurant when Susan showed up, Thea felt her initial anger coming back full force, bubbling right under her skin, waiting to explode.  She took a deep breath then popped her last bite of burger into her mouth before tossing her garbage back into the empty food bag, which she proceeded to crumple up in her hands.  After wadding it into a big, white ball, Thea tossed it over her head, off the side of the building, and into the dumpster below.

"Nice shot." A voice called out.

On instinct, Thea went on the offensive, diving off her crate into a side roll.  As she rolled, Thea grabbed a loose brick that was lying nearby and chucked it in the direction of the voice.  She heard an _"Oompf!"_ sound as the figure in front of her caught the brick, and then the voice said, "Damn, chica."

"Rene?" She queried as the figure stepped closer and the dim lighting caught his features.  She took in his muscular frame covered in an old, fitted hockey jersey (not his Wild Dog one but a different one), ripped jeans, and beat up sneakers.  Admiring his biceps, something bubbled in her stomach for a moment that wasn't pure rage, but went away as soon as he opened his mouth.

"The one and only." He smirked.

Thea rolled her eyes and said coldly, "What do you want, Rene?"

"You know, if this," He began, waving the brick in his hand for emphasis.  "is how you treat the men in your life, it's no wonder you're single." Rene joked, then tossed the brick aside.

"Bite me, hockey face."  Thea bit back.  Okay, so hockey face wasn't the most creative insult, but it was the first thing that came to mind, her very frustrated mind.

"Somebody's touchy." Rene retorted, half joking and half serious.  It was clear that she wasn't just angry at him for interrupting and scaring her.  She was obviously pissed off by something else, like _really_ pissed off.  He couldn't help but wonder what it was that made her so mad and whose ass he would have to kick to fix it.

"Seriously," Thea started, tone hard.  "I'm _so_ not in the mood for you and your attitude."

A grin graced his lips and replied cheekily, "Does that mean that sometimes you _are_ in the mood for me?"

"Rene--" She started to snap, but was cut off.

"Okay, Okay, I'm done.  Promise." Rene swore, raising his hands upward in a surrender motion.  He realized that he took it too far as soon as Thea yelled his name.  The venom in her voice was creepy scary, causing him to take a small step backward.  The motion felt odd to Rene though.  Usually when he saw an attractive woman in skinny jeans and a leather jacket, he only moved forward.

Thea watched Rene move backward and realized how unfair she was being to Rene.  He wasn't the one, she should be taking out her anger on.  That should be reserved for Oliver.  Noting the concern in his eyes, she took a calming  breath and tried to collect herself.  After a couple seconds, she said, "Look, I'm sorry for biting your head off, I'm just... not in a great mood at the moment."

"No kidding." Rene snorted.

Thea took another breath before she said something else she regretted then continued carefully, "I got in a fight with my brother.  It's a long story, one I don't feel like sharing at the moment, so please don't ask."  She wasn't trying to be rude, she just doesn't know Rene all that well, definitely not enough to confide something personal in him.  But the weird thing was, part of her wanted to anyway.  Thea decided to push that part of her aside for now... _way_ aside.

Rene took in her words and nodded, "Fair enough."

"Anyway, my point is," She went on.  "I should be saving my frustration for Oliver, not taking it out on you."

Suddenly, an idea popped into Rene's head.  Maybe Thea _should_ take her frustration out on him.  With that thought, he simply shrugged and said, "Okay."

"Okay?"  Thea repeated, feeling a mixture of surprised and confused at Rene not pushing the matter.

"Yup.  I know when to mind my business.  Now, if _you_ don't mind..." He trailed off, moving around her to plop himself on the old crate, the same crate had watched her sit and stew on for longer than he would like to admit.

"What are you doing?"  She questioned exasperatedly as she moved in front of him.

"What does it look like I'm doing?  I'm checking out the view." He told her.

"Well, I was kind of here first, and I want to be alone."  She replied, her anger increasing with each word.

"Eh, you'll get over it."  Rene said, nonchalantly.

"Fine."  Thea relented, but only because she had to.  It's not like she owned the roof.  He was free to come and go as he pleased.  "But I'm gonna need my seat back." Thea said firmly, crossing her arms to show she meant business.

" _Your_ seat?" He asked.

"Yes, _my_ seat." She clarified.

"I don't see your name on it." Rene quipped.

That's it.  Thea was so done with his shit.  "Rene, MOVE."  She practically growled.

"Make me." He responded like a child.

"Excuse me?" Thea asked in disbelief.

" _Make. Me_." Rene said slowly and deliberately, enunciating every little sound.

At the exaggerated sound of the "e" in me, Thea snapped and shouted, "FINE!"

Then, before he could blink, she threw out a forward kick to his chest, hoping to knock him off the crate, but Rene's reflexes were fast and he managed to catch her leg in the nick of time.  Next, she threw out a punch, but again, he deflected and sent her rolling sideways, while he rolled away in the opposite direction.  Thea used the momentum to get back to her feet and found Rene already standing.  He gave her a smirk, and she took it as her cue to charge.  They continued to spar for a good five minutes, the crate long forgotten, as a rush of adrenaline took over Thea's mind and body.  The two of them didn't stop until Thea got in a lucky kick and knocked Rene's feet out from under him.  As he fell to the ground, he used his quick reflexes once more and grabbed her arm, bringing Thea down with him.  Rene landed smack on his back with Thea stretched out on top of him.

Splaying her hands on his chest, Thea pushed onto her elbows and stared at him.  For a long moment, neither of them said anything as they tried to catch their breath.  Thea took in his kind eyes filled with fire and felt his heart racing beneath his chest.  It was beating just as fast as hers was, and something told her that her eyes weren't much different from his at the moment either.  Thea's gaze then moved from Rene's eyes to the rugged line of his jaw to his sexy beard/mustache combo that was perfectly kempt to his full lips that were only mere inches from hers.  Their lips were so close that she could feel his breath fan her face as he panted.  She glanced back at his brown eyes that somehow smoldered in the dim lighting of the rooftop, and like she was in some sort of trance, Thea slowly moved her head forward.  Her lips weren't more than a millimeter away from connecting with Rene's before common sense kicked in, causing her to pull back. Then, before she could change her mind, Thea pushed herself up off Rene and rose to her feet.

Rene let out a frustrated breath and sat up, but didn't move to stand.  He brought his knees up and leaned his arms on them, blocking the scene that "little Rene" was making against his jeans.  He tried to be discreet about it, but Thea saw right through him and gave a smirk of her own.

"Well, looks like you're the one who could use a little alone time now." She chuckled.  "I'll just... see you later." Thea waved as she turned then walked towards the edge of the building and climbed down the  fire-escape that led down to the alley where she left her bike parked.

Once Rene finished ogling Thea's backside as she left, he laughed dryly and shook his head before laying himself back down on the roof and thinking to himself...

_"Man, am I in so much trouble."_


	4. Moving In

Felicity felt better now that she had changed into comfier clothes, her owl pajama pants and old MIT t-shirt, and had food in her stomach.  Macaroni and cheese was her go to comfort food and had certainly hit the spot tonight.  After adjusting her glasses and tightening her ponytail, she took one last creamy, cheesy, noodle-y bite then tossed her Styrofoam take-out container from Donatello's into the trash.  Just as she did so, Felicity heard a knock on her front door.  Making her way to the living room, she heard Thea's voice call out,

"Hello?  Lis?"

"Hey." She replied, finding Thea with a surprised look on her face, pointing to the stack of boxes that were overtaking her living area.

"Wow." Thea said.   "How--"

Felicity knew Thea was about to ask how she managed to pack nearly the entire apartment within a 30 minute time span, so she cut her off and quickly explained, "When I got home and saw how much needed to be done, I kind of started to hyperventilate, and by kind of I mean I totally freaked out.  I'm talking full on panic attack.  Anyway, once I took some deep breaths and managed to calm myself down , I sent an SOS to Barry who showed up, well, in a _flash_ and did his speed thing to help me out. "

"That was generous... and certainly makes things a lot easier for us."  Thea finally got the chance to respond.

"Definitely.  I owe him big time."  Felicity nodded.

"So, he packed everything?" Thea queried, eyeing the boxes again with an impressed look on her face.

"Yep, well... almost.  Not my bedroom.  It felt too weird to make him pack my, um, _personal_ items.  Besides, who knows what skeletons are still lurking in that closet of mine."

"In that case, lead the way." Thea retorted teasingly, although her interest was undeniably piqued.

With that, Felicity shook her head, chuckled, and took Thea down the hall to her room.  Thea immediately grabbed some boxes and headed to the closet.  Rolling her eyes, Felicity did the same.  Sitting on her knees, Thea began organizing her friend's shoes by season before packing them into boxes accordingly.  Meanwhile, Felicity sat cross legged, going through scarves, belts, and other randomness that accumulated at the bottom of her closet.

"So, how did dinner with Oliver go?" Felicity asked.

"It didn't." Thea said quickly, her anger rising again, but nothing compared to earlier thanks to Rene's impromptu sparring match.  It made a great stress reliever.

"What do you mean?" Felicity inquired curiously.

"We got in a fight and--" Thea began, but cut herself off.  "look, if I am going to rehash all this, then I am gonna need some wine... or something stronger."

Felicity thought a moment and replied, "Barry packed up the "something stronger" and, as for the wine..." She trailed off, turning around and reaching under her bed.

Thea furrowed her brow as she watched her friend dig around under behind for a moment.  All of sudden, Felicity pulled out a full bottle of Merlot.

"Ah-ha!" Felicity exclaimed excitedly.  "Red okay?"

"Sure." Thea answered, feeling puzzled.  "You keep a bottle of wine under your bed?"

"It's my emergency wine." Felicity told her, completely serious.

"You keep a bottle of emergency wine under your bed?" Thea asked again.  When Felicity smiled and nodded, Thea said, "Why didn't I think of that?"

With a chuckle, Felicity unscrewed the cap and took a long swig then passed it to Thea who did the same.  They continued the pattern as they went through the closet while Thea explained the Oliver ordeal from earlier.

"Can you believe him?"  Thea inquired as she took another drink of Merlot, then set it down between them.

"Yeah, that was a terrible plan on his part."  Felicity conceded, but then added, "But you could have stayed.  I mean, one meal was not gonna kill you."

"Debatable."  Thea tossed back as she taped a box of boots closed.

"Seriously, Thea.  Maybe you should give Susan a chance."  Felicity told her.

"Okay, you've obviously had too much wine." Thea told her as she moved the bottle to the other side of her.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you." Felicity informed her, folding up what had to be the tenth scarf she found.  _When did she buy so many?_

"Really? Because only someone insane, high, or drunk would actually like that woman." Thea replied.

"I never said I liked her." Felicity amended.  "In fact, I strongly dislike Susan."  At that, Thea gave her friend an incredulous look that said, _"Hello, pot.  Meet kettle."_ but before she could verbalize the thought, Felicity went on.  "But my brother isn't dating her.  _Yours_ is."

Thea sighed dejectedly, "So you are saying I should be a supportive sister because as horrible as I think Susan is, she is with Ollie and for some godforsaken reason makes him happy?"

Felicity stifled a laugh.  "Yeah, something like that."

After pausing a moment to take a big gulp of wine, Thea wiped her mouth on her sleeve and said, "I'll think about it." then handed the bottle to Felicity.

"Besides," Felicity took a sip, finishing off a third of the bottle.  "I'm sure Oliver will realize sooner than later that Susan is all wrong for him."

"You're probably right."  Thea nodded, organizing her friend's pumps by color in a box of their own.  "I'm mean she is so not his type.  She's not blonde... or quirky.... or funny... and she definitely doesn't have a genius level IQ."

"Thea..." Felicity warned, the look in her eyes telling her not to go there.

"I'm just saying." Thea shrugged innocently.  Then, just like that, the subject was dropped.

The conversation lulled for a moment as Thea got preoccupied forcing one last pair of shoes to fit in the already full box.  Meanwhile, Felicity grabbed yet another scarf to fold up.  As she picked up the long piece of chiffon, it revealed an old green shoe box with "Olicity" scrawled across the top in Felicity's loopy handwriting.  Before Thea could see it, Felicity grabbed the shoe box and tossed it in the big cardboard box next to her, burying it under the plethora of scarves and belts she apparently owned.

"I am _so_ borrowing these ones." Thea said, gesturing to the leopard print stilettos in her hand, completely oblivious to Felicity's sneakiness.

"Sure thing." Felicity answered.  "Hey, I have an idea." She said, then reached for her phone and put on Pandora.  For the rest of the night, the girls talked aimlessly about anything and everything as they packed, drank wine, and listened to the women of pop embrace their fierceness.

*******

"This is the last one." Felicity announced, walking into her new (temporary) home and setting a box on the living room couch.

"Not so loud." Thea groaned, leaning against the kitchen counter across the way, rubbing her temples, head still pounding from last night's girls' night even though it was 4pm.

Felicity just shook her head, glad she had responded _much_ better to the Advil they both took earlier, but it also helped that she didn't drink nearly as much as Thea who made it her mission to finish the entire bottle of wine somewhere between being confident with Demi Lovato and running the world with Beyonce.  Felicity was game at first but called it quits a couple of songs later after twerking in the USA with Miley Cyrus made her nauseous.

"Go lay down, Speedy." Oliver told his sister, a small smile playing on his lips.  "We can handle it from here."

"Thank god." Thea sighed in relief, then padded across the room toward the hallway.  Pausing for a moment, she called out to Felicity, "Your room is the third door on the left, after the bathroom and my room.  The one across from mine is Ollie's.  The one across from yours is a spare.  Feel free to use it as storage."

"Great, thanks, Thea.  I mean it."  She smiled.

Thea returned the smile and said, "No problem." then headed to her bedroom for a nice, long nap.

"So, where should we start?"  Oliver asked.

"You know, you've done more than enough just letting me move in.  You don't have to keep helping."  Felicity told him.

"Felicity..." He said, voice soft but filled with a playful warning to stop arguing.

"Fine." She retorted, annoyed and amused at the same time.  "We can start with these boxes." Felicity nodded, gesturing to the boxes on and around the coffee table and living room sofa.  Take a peek inside the ones labeled _living room_ and we can see if they will fit in here with your guys' stuff or if they should go in storage."

"Works for me." Oliver answered, then pulled the nearest box toward him and sifted through it.  Felicity was pulling out the bedroom boxes and putting them in a separate area when Oliver asked, "Pillows?"

Felicity glanced around the room and said, "The colors should work in here.  Plus, you can never have too many pillows.  Toss em' on the couch." 

Oliver obliged then grabbed another box, reaching in and pulling out a lacey, black bra.  He stared in confusion as a fond memory flickered quickly through his brain, but he shook it away even quicker and stammered, "Er...uh..."

"What are you doing?!" Felicity all but screamed as her cheeks flamed red while she snatched the bra from his hands.

"Sorry!" Oliver apologized.  "The box said books... I thought it was books."  He tried to explain.

Felicity looked at the box as Oliver rotated it to show the label.  It was written in drunken cursive, Thea's drunken cursive to exact, but it did not say _books_ as Oliver thought.  It said _boobs_.

 _"Oh my god. I'm gonna kill her."_ She thought to herself, wishing a killer wave of nausea onto her new roommate.  Oliver, on the other hand, she couldn't really blame.

"It's fine." Felicity said, taking the box in question, tossing the bra inside, and putting it with the bedroom boxes. Before she could stop herself, she blurted, "It's not like you haven't seen it before."

This time it was Oliver who blushed as he stifled a laugh.  He couldn't believe she had just said that...okay, yes he could.  Either way, Felicity made a valid point.  It _definitely_ wasn't the first time his fingers stroked that fabric.  So, Oliver simply nodded and grabbed another box, reading the label carefully.  This one clearly said _living room_.  However, when he opened it up, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Um, Felicity?  Why does this box contain CDs from the '90s, fuzzy socks, tampons, and a half eaten roll of cookie dough?"  Oliver questioned, holding the melty lump in his hands for emphasis.

"Clearly the wine packed that box as well." Felicity answered dryly as she moved it to the bedroom pile as well with a vague memory from last night coming back to her about creating a "PMS box" and how Thea thought they should take it on _Shark Tank_.  _"A box for your box! It's genius!"_ Thea had said.

Chuckling to herself, Felicity pulled out several more boxes and put them aside as Oliver questioned, "Where do you want these scarves?  Oh, and belts."

Felicity's eyes widened as she turned and ripped the box from his grasp.  "I got it!" She practically yelled, hoping Oliver hadn't seen the green shoe box buried at the bottom.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, looking concerned.

 "Yeah, of course..." Felicity tried to play cool, but wasn't exactly pulling it off.  "Why don't you go put away the kitchen boxes.  Those should be safe.  _And far less embarrassing_."  She told him, saving the last comment for herself.  She hoped she could change the subject and distracted him.  Luckily, it worked for he headed to the kitchen and let the subject drop.

Halfway to the kitchen, Oliver hesitated, then turned to face Felicity as he called her name.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"I know that this situation with us living together again is bound to get a little awkward at times..." Oliver began.

 _More like_ a lot _awkward._ Felicity thought inwardly.

"but  really it only has to be as awkward as we let it."  He finished.

"Right, so we just won't make it anymore awkward than it has to be."  She replied with a curt nod.

"Right." Oliver repeated.

"So..." Felicity continued.  "How exactly do we do that?"

"We start fresh," He answered.  "leave the past in the past."

Felicity was quiet for a long moment, which was totally out of character for her, then she finally responded. "Fresh it is."  Moving around the coffee table, she stopped a good foot in front of Oliver, half-smiled, and said, "Hi, I'm Felicity Smoak... your new roommate."

Oliver couldn't help but smile back as he shook her hand and replied, "Oliver.  Oliver Queen."

As their hands touched, they both felt a mixture of calming warmth and prickling electricity. Before either of them could read too much into it, Felicity forced herself to pull away.  Once the contact was broken, they quietly returned to their designated spots and continued unpacking.

When Oliver turned around to shove some plates into a cupboard, Felicity picked up the box from before and quickly took it down the hall to her new room.  Opening the door, she took in the decent sized room with a queen bed and dark wood furniture.  Even though it was bare, it still looked classy and stylish, way better than the lair or  any of the places she had found online.  Thea really was a life saver...unless she was drunk.  Then, not so much.

Moving to the canopy bed, Felicity set the box on the bare mattress and opened it up.  Taking out the folded up scarves and rolled up belts, she walked over to the short, wide dresser opposite the bed and placed them neatly inside the top drawer one by one.  Once they were all in place, Felicity closed the drawer softly and walked back to the bed, peeking into the big cardboard box.  She slowly and delicately remove the last item: the green shoe box.

Wiping the dust off of it, she stared at the word "Olicity" for a couple of really long seconds.  It was the couple name the public gave them when she and Oliver were together.  Taking a deep breath and reminding herself to "leave the past in the past" and all that, she walked over to the waste basket next to the bedroom door and tossed it in.

Felicity turned and made it one step before whirling back around and ripping the "Olicity" box out of the trash.  She wasn't sure why, but she just couldn't do it.  For whatever reason, she wasn't ready to let go just yet.  So, she walked over to the closet on the opposite wall, slid open the door, and turned on the light inside.  Taking in the elongated space, Felicity noticed a shelf across the top and shoved the box up there, pushing it over into the back corner.

Feeling a little better, she turned off the light and closed the closet back up.  Turning around and leaning back against the doors, Felicity took one last cleansing breath, thinking to herself that "leaving the past in the past" was going to be _a lot_ easier _said_ than _done_.


	5. Awkward Moments

Felicity spent the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday, getting all of her things unpacked or stored away.  Since it was nearly five o’clock on Sunday when she finished, Felicity took it upon herself to cook dinner for Thea and Oliver as an official thank you.  It wasn’t anything fancy.  She just threw together a salad and boiled and sauced up some frozen cheese ravioli.  Nevertheless, given the fact that they were out for most of the day, the Queen siblings were very pleased to come home to an already prepared supper.

The threesome sat around the rectangular, glass table together as soon as everything was ready.  Thea took the head of the table with Oliver and Felicity sitting perpendicular on either side of her.  As the trio filled their plates and began to eat, things got really quiet.  It wasn’t a- _this meal is so good, I’m too busy eating to talk_ \- kind of quiet either.  It was more like a- _this situation is really awkward, and I don’t really know what to say to make it not awkward_ \- kind of quiet.

After about five long minutes of silence, Thea finally spoke up.

"I got a new job today." She said, then took another bite of ravioli.

"Thea, that's great!" Felicity congratulated.

"It really is, Speedy."  Oliver agreed.  "So, where is this new job?"

"Big Belly Burger."  Thea answered.  "I stopped in for a shake earlier--"

"Ah, the infamous Thea Queen hangover remedy." Felicity teased.

"Works every time."  Thea asserted.  "Anyway, I sort of walked in on them firing one of their waitresses, and as I watched the scene play out in front of me, I realized an opportunity was presenting itself, so I jumped on it."

"Why?"  Oliver blurted.  "Ow!" He mumbled under his breath a second later after Felicity kicked him in the shin.

"What your brother _means_ to say is that he is really proud of you."  She told Thea.  "Right, Oliver?" Felicity tossed across the table through gritted teeth at the man in question.

Thea chuckled.  "It's okay, Lis.  I'm used to him being a jerk.  It's what big brothers do, _especially_ mine."

"I'm not trying to be a jerk." Oliver started to explain.  "It's just... your better than some fast-food chain, Thea.  You deserve more than some mediocre job with crappy pay."

"Ollie, I get what you're saying, and you're right.  This waitress gig is mediocre with crappy pay, but you know what else it is?  Normal.  And I think that's exactly what I need right now, so I can get my head on straight and figure out my next move, so I can figure out what I _really_ want out of life."

 Oliver let out a breath, knowing he couldn't argue with that, then said, "If this is what you think is best, then I support your decision." Pausing a moment, his gaze flickered across the table to Felicity and then back to his sister before he smirked and added, "And I'm _really_ proud of you."

"Thanks, Ollie." Thea smiled back.

Felicity grinned as well as she took a bite of salad, glad Oliver had listened to her and that she could be part of this little family moment and, at least temporarily, a part of this little family.

*******

The next few days flew by pretty quickly and uneventfully for the trio, at least in the apartment it did.  Outside, Prometheus was still creating havoc in the city and putting Team Arrow through the wringer.  Needless to say, everyone has been pretty busy, not to mention on edge.  

After yet another long day of living a double life, Felicity came home Thursday night to an empty apartment, feeling tired and stressed.  She figured Thea must still be at work and Oliver...well, you never knew with him.  She left him at the lair, but he probably went off to meet Susan somewhere.

Taking advantage of her alone time, Felicity poured herself a glass of wine and drew herself a bath.  After having a good long soak, Felicity felt much more relaxed as she got out of the tub and wrapped a fluffy green towel around her body.  Going to her room, she stood in front of the mirror and ran a brush through her damp hair.   Next, she grabbed her favorite Midnight Pomegranate body lotion to  lather up and soothe her freshly washed skin.  Felicity massaged the lotion onto one arm before running out of the stuff completely.

"Come, on!" She growled, shaking the bottle and willing it to produce more lotion.  When no more came out, Felicity closed the cap and tossed it on the bed before scanning the top of her dresser for more.  She knew she had another bottle, but she wasn't seeing it anywhere. 

 _Maybe it's in one of the storage boxes?_   Felicity thought to herself, then snatched the empty bottle from her bed and tossed it in the trash as she headed out the door.  Entering the spare room across the hall, Felicity squatted down and began rummaging through boxes.  In the third box she looked through, she spotted the sparkly bottle she was looking for and plucked it out of the randomness surrounding it.  Popping the lid, Felicity took a big whiff, enjoying the delicious scent of pomegranate.  Satisfied with a job well done, she restacked the boxes on top of one another. Before Felicity could do anything else, the door suddenly flung open as a voice called to her.

"Hey, Thea--"

"Holy frack!" Felicity screeched, squirting purple goo in the air and jumping out of her skin as she whirled around to find Oliver in the doorway, staring open-mouthed at her.  Unfortunately, her towel had gotten caught in the boxes that she had restacked, so when Felicity turned around, it was yanked from her body, revealing all her bits and pieces for him to see.

For a moment, Oliver just stood there ogling her as his mind flashed back to certain memories he kept tucked in the very back of his mind, memories of Felicity and her body and the things he used to do to every inch of it.  As a burning started to form low in his taut stomach, he realized where his mind was at and quickly shook the thoughts away.  Meanwhile, Felicity's face flamed as she dropped her lotion and rushed to cover what she could with her hands.

" I thought you were Thea." Oliver said stupidly, mind a little off-kilter at the moment.

"Well, as you can see... I'm _not_ , and I'm also _not_ fully clothed at the moment so if you don't mind..." She trailed off then watched him turn around hastily.  Once Oliver was looking the other way, Felicity snatched her towel from the ground, freeing it from the clutches of the evil boxes, and wrapped it firmly around her body, making sure everything important was covered.

"I'm so sorry, Felicity." Oliver told her.

"It's okay." Felicity answered, collecting her bottle of lotion from the floor.  "It was an accident."  Once she doubled checked her towel was still in place, Felicity took a deep breath then added,  " You can turn around now.  I'm decent."

At her words, Oliver turned slowly, and, once he saw that she indeed was fully covered, he tried to explain himself. "I swear I didn't know you were in here or that you were, um..."

"Naked?" She filled in, stating the obvious.

"Right.  That."  Oliver agreed, clearly embarrassed by the situation.  "Thea uses the open space in here to meditate sometimes, so when I heard noise coming from the room, I just assumed..."

"Well, you assumed wrong." Felicity told him.

"Clearly." Oliver answered.  "Again, I am _really_ sorry."

"It's fine, really,"  Felicity tried to assure even though she felt completely humiliated.  "but for the future, let's establish a knocking policy where we _both_ have to knock before entering a room from now on."

"Good idea." Oliver nodded, really not wanting incidents like this to occur anymore, especially when Thea actually _was_ home.  If that happened, he would never hear the end of it, not that he would be forgetting _this_ incident anytime soon.  Not by a _long_ shot.

It suddenly got quiet for a few seconds as they just stood there and stared at each other, both lost in thought.  Felicity wasn't sure what bothered her more... that Oliver just saw her naked or the repeated apologizing for doing so.  I mean, had her bare self gone downhill that much since they broke up?  Felicity didn't think so.  In fact, she'd been working out more recently, so, if anything, it should be better than before.... wait a minute.  Why should she care what Oliver thinks?  They're over.  They're in the past.  Right?

 _Right, of course we are._ Felicity silently answered her own question, forcing herself to focus on the present, instead of the past that was threatening to give her a headache.  Unfortunately, that made her hyper-aware that she was still staring at Oliver and was still basically naked  in front of him.  Embarrassment quickly refilled her face, making her finally break the silence as she blurted, "So, I'm gonna go put some clothes on, and we can just forget this ever happened.  Okay? Okay."

Before Oliver could respond, Felicity sprinted past him and into her own bedroom across the way.  Oliver was still for a moment, as he watched the bedroom door shut tightly.  Staring after her, he ran a hand across his face and took a deep breath.  Then, as Oliver headed to the bathroom for a cold shower, he shook his head and thought sarcastically to himself...

_Forget the image of Felicity's nude and slightly wet body?  Yeah, that'll happen._

*******

The next day, Felicity dressed herself in a conservative top, cardigan sweater, and dress pants. Feeling more confident underneath her long layers, she managed to act normal around Oliver every time she saw him...well, normal for her anyway.  To his credit, Oliver acted fairly normal too, not mentioning the awkwardness of last night even once.  Clearly, he was able to forget about the incident pretty easily, which is exactly what Felicity wanted... so why did she feel so irritated?

Shrugging it off, she let her computers soothe her as she lost herself in the inter-webs.  A couple hours later, she was shutting down the system for the night, when she received a text from an unknown number.  It was a riddle.  Immediately, Felicity new it was her friend from Helix asking for her assistance and tempting her to join the team.  She sent her regards, deleted the conversation, then shut off her phone.  Felicity was already on one team, and it kept her plenty busy.  She didn't need another one to worry about.

A good fifteen minutes later, Felicity was unlocking the door to her new apartment, wanting nothing more than to dive into a jar of Nutella and a bag of potato chips.  Opening the door and flipping on the lights, she was  planning on doing just that, but was greeted by an unexpected surprise instead... and not the good kind.

Taking a step inside, Felicity saw Oliver sprawled out on the couch, intertwined with a moaning Susan, as they enjoyed a make-out session that was getting hot and heavy.

"Oh my god!" She squealed, caught off guard by the sight of them.

The sudden noise jarred the couple apart as Oliver sat up, nearly knocking Susan off the couch.  He managed to catch her in time, but it didn't stop the pissed off look from spreading across her face.

"Felicity?  What are you doing here?" Oliver questioned, his face a mixture of confusion and embarrassment.  Or was that shame?

"Um...well, I kind of live here now, so..." She trailed off.

"I know that." Oliver said dryly.  "It's just, Thea said you two would be out kind of late.  I wasn't expecting you back so soon." 

"Where is Thea?" Susan chimed in, brushing a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

"Thea?" Felicity queried.  She had no idea what they were talking about but assumed Thea had used her as a cover for some reason.  Not wanting to mess things up for her friend, Felicity was quick to add, "Thea's... at work.  She picked up an extra shift. Hence the reason I'm here.  Alone.  In this awkward situation. Speaking of, I suppose this makes us even for last night, which... never happened so never mind.  Anyway, I'm really sorry about this.  I totally would have knocked, but, you know, since I live here now, coming in the front door using the key seemed like the more natural thing to do, and yeah... I'm officially babbling so, I'm just gonna stop now and go to my room.  You two crazy kids have fun."  She finished, then bolted down the hallway so fast, she gave Barry a run for his money.

Once Felicity was tucked safely inside her room, she leaned against the door and pulled her phone from her purse.  Turning it back on, a text came in from Thea.

**_Met up with a friend after work tonight.  Be back late.  Cover for me.  XOXO._ **

Felicity shook her head and texted back.

**_Looks like you caught an extra shift.  That's better than what I just caught an eyeful of..._ **

_A lot better._ Felicity thought to herself as she stretched across her bed, put her headphones on, and blasted her music, hoping to melt away her memory of the last few minutes and cancel out any noise that may be happening on the other side of her door.

*******

"What happened last night?" Susan asked, her reporter side starting to slip out behind her chill exterior.

"What?"  Oliver feigned innocence.

"Felicity said this made you even for last night." Susan explained.  "So, again... what happened last night?"

"It was nothing."  Oliver lied.

"Oliver--" Susan tried, but was interrupted.

"Do you really want to hear a long, stupid story, or..." He trailed off, pulling her closer and kissing her neck then her jaw then her lips.

Pulling back for a second, she said, "Fine.  It was nothing."  then kissed him again, long and hard.   "But next time we get interrupted by Felicity, you don't need to look like a deer caught in the headlights." She laughed softly.  "She's you're roommate, _not_ your mom.

As they began making out again, Oliver played the part of the cool, unaffected boyfriend, but inwardly, he begged to a higher power, " _Please_ , do _not_ let there be a next time."


	6. Night Ride

Thea was on her way home from work Friday night, enjoying the adrenaline rush that came with riding her motorcycle and smelling heavily of french fries.  Soaking in the cool night air, she was wishing she had stuffed some perfume in her sleek messenger bag that hung across her body, but least she thought to bring a fresh shirt, so she would be more comfortable on her night ride through the city.  Thea was debating on going to her favorite rooftop for a bit, when she was suddenly cut off by another motorcycle.  This bike looked a lot like hers, except  instead of a red and black paint job, this bike was painted green.  Green Arrow green.

 _Oliver you asshole_. She thought to herself as she sped up, coming up beside the bike she knew all too well. 

Revving her engine to indicate a challenge, she flipped him off then drove even faster down the semi-abandoned street.  The green bike was at her side in seconds, revving the engine as if to say, "challenge accepted" then popping a wheel-y before leaving her behind.  With that, the race was on as they wound their way through the streets of Star City and showed off their fancy little tricks, trying to outdo each other each time.  Eventually, they made their way to the outskirts of town near the countryside, a few miles from what used to be Queen Mansion and came to a stop.  Thea removed her helmet and shook out her bob to rid herself of helmet hair.  As she hung the helmet on the handle bar, she spoke up and taunted, "Looks like I won this round."

"Only because I let you." Said a familiar voice that was _not_ Oliver's.

Removing his helmet, Thea realized that it wasn't Oliver in his black leather jacket, but Rene sitting there smirking in his black zip up hoodie.

"You're not Ollie."  Thea stated the obvious.

"Nope." Rene answered, hanging his helmet like she did.

"Then why are _you_ on _his_ bike? Do you _have_ a death wish?" She asked, only half joking.

"Just taking it for a little joy ride.  What Oliver doesn't know won't hurt him." Rene shrugged.

"Or you." Thea added with a smirk of her own.

"Exactly." He smiled back.  "So where are we exactly?"

"One of my secret spots." Thea told him, though she didn't know why.

"Hmmm..." Murmured Rene.  "Seems you have a lot of those." He noted, thinking back to the other day when he found Thea on the roof of the Arrow cave.

"And it seems you like invading them." She countered.

Again, Rene shrugged, "What can I say?  I'm a curious guy."

Thea shook her head as she stifled a smile.  Before she could respond, Rene spoke up once more.

"And, since you brought it up," He began.  "why exactly were you on the roof the other day?"

Thea crossed her arms before replying, "I could ask you the same question."

"Touché." Rene nodded.  When Thea didn't respond, he sighed and continued.  "It's not a big deal or anything.  I just like to go up there sometimes to think and take in the view."

"Really?"  She queried, tone surprised.  Maybe they had more in common than she thought.

"Yeah, I like how it makes me feel small."  He said.  "It's nice to be reminded I'm not the only out there going through a rough time, you know?"

Thea was speechless.  She had thought the same thing in her head many times as she city-watched but never said it aloud because she figured no one would really understand, but now here was Rene speaking her innermost thoughts for her.  Not sure how to reply to his explanation, she decided to change the subject.

"Come with me." Thea said, rising from her bike and removing her messenger bag to hang it alongside her helmet. She was heading toward a close by hill several yards away.  As the dirt road at her feet changed to grass, Thea paused to peek over her shoulder, then called back to a still sitting Rene, "You coming?"

"Into the darkness with a pretty girl?  Why not?" He answered, swinging his leg over his bike.  Once he was standing, Rene added, "Although, I'm pretty sure this is how horror movies start."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you from any creepy clowns or men with chainsaws that may be lurking in the shadows." She teased, then led him through the grass a ways and up to the top of a large hill.

Once at the peak, they turned to face the road and watched the city glow in the distance. It looked like its own little universe in a galaxy far away.

"Wow." Rene said, impressed with sight in front of him.

"Yeah, out of all the views I've found, this one is my favorite."  Thea told him.

It was quiet for a beat, then he responded, "How _did_ you find it?

"I came out here once a long time ago to catch a glimpse of the house I grew up in and connect with some old memories, but I found this instead."  Thea explained, gesturing to the skyline.  "Call it a happy accident."

Rene nodded then retorted, "So, is that what you do when you sit on roofs and big hils... you connect with your past?" 

"Sometimes," She shrugged.  "Other times, I try to accept my present or figure out my future." She clarified, turning to look him in the eyes, immediately feeling a magnetic pull toward him, moving her closer in his direction, a pull so strong it scared her a little.

"Okay, I get the future bit, but what exactly is there to accept about your present?"  Rene probed, wanting know more about Thea and get inside that big, beautiful brain of hers.

"For starters... how about the fact that there is a psycho out to get my brother.  And then, there's Prometheus running amuck." Thea noted.

Rene couldn't help but smirk at her comment as he replied, "Not a fan of Susan's, huh?"

"Not in the least." She answered.

"Well--" He began but was cut off.

"I swear to god if you tell me I just need to give her a chance, I _will_ hurt you." Thea threatened.

Rene laughed then held his hands in surrender when he informed her, "I was just going to say I don't blame you."

"Wait, you don't?" Thea asked, feeling bemused and not expecting his answer at all.  "You mean, you don't like her either?"

"Hell, no.  Bitch be crazy." Rene said seriously.  "She thinks she's all that with her secret sources and her press pass, doing a justice for the city, but really she's just an angry chick with a grudge and a notepad who seriously needs a reality check."

Thea just blinked at him for a second, then, before she knew what she was doing, her hands were gripping the front of Rene's jacket and her lips were pressed against his.  He immediately responded, splaying his hands on her hips and pulling her closer as he went to deepen the kiss, but after another long moment, Thea pulled away, ending things just as quickly as she had started them.

"Sorry."  She muttered, pushing a few strands of dark hair behind her ear and moving her gaze back to the cityscape.  "I- I'm just not used to people taking my side, especially on _that_ particular topic."

"Well, consider me on Team Thea."  Rene told her as he wiped some lip gloss from his grin.

Thea would have laughed, but she was too busy thinking about the kiss, about how perfect it was and how right it felt.  However, she must have made a face that said otherwise as she stared off because Rene suddenly spoke up again and said, "Look, if you want, we can pretend that kiss never happened, and I can just go--"

"No!" She cut him off urgently, grabbing him by the arm in case he tried to move.  The response surprised both him and herself.  "I mean," She tried again more calmly.  "It wasn't a big deal.  We got caught up in moment.  It doesn't have to mean anything.  You don't have to leave."

"All right." Rene humored her, enjoying the warmth of Thea's touch almost as much as seeing her so flustered.  "I guess I'll be staying then."

"Good." Thea tossed back.  "Because I have one more thing I wanna show you." She added, then moved to sit in the grass, pulling him down beside her.  They were both sitting on their butts in the grass with their feet extended in front of them when Thea spoke up once more.

"Now lay back." She commanded.

Rene did as he was told and leaned back in unison with Thea until they were both on their backs looking up at the sky.

"Whoa." Rene whispered looking at what seemed like thousands of stars that lit up the night sky, twinkling like fireflies on cool summer evening.  "I haven't seen a view like this in... I don't even know how long."

"Yeah, the city has too much man-made light polluting the sky, so you can't ever get the full picture until you come out here." Thea informed him.

"Well, I'd take _this_ Star City over the polluted one any day." Rene told her.

"Me too."  She agreed. 

Suddenly, Thea felt a vibration in her jacket pocket.  Unzipping her pocket and checking it out, she found it was only a silly Facebook notification.  Swiping it away, Thea noticed the time.  It was getting late, but she had no desire to move from her spot on the ground and end the moment between her and Rene, so she shot off a quick text to Felicity and then one to Oliver, so they wouldn't be worried.  Once the messages sent, Thea turned off her phone and zipped it back into her side pocket.  Staring back again at the sky above, she began to fully enjoy her own personal tranquility.

Well... almost.  Something was missing.  Something Thea couldn't quite place until Rene slid his hand over a few inches in the grass and held hers.  As soon as their fingers intertwined, Thea smiled a serene smile.

Now she felt better. 

Now she felt _whole_.


	7. Breaking Up and Making Up

**Two Weeks Later...**

Oliver blindly led Susan into the apartment, fumbling the whole way as he kicked the door shut, dragged her into the kitchen, and lifted her onto the island.  They didn't stop kissing the whole time, not even when Susan accidentally hit her head off the pans that were hanging from the ceiling rack above.  Oliver's hormones were in control right now, and they were in overdrive.  However, he felt a little ashamed of the reason behind it.  The truth was, while he caressed Susan's smooth legs and ravished her soft lips, he was really only thinking of Felicity.

Every time Oliver and Susan kissed or became intimate to any degree, Felicity's image would form in his mind.  This happened every once in a while _before_ the incident, and, when it did, Oliver just tried to push through it in hopes that he could eventually get past this little problem, but ever since walking in on her and seeing a fresh image of naked Felicity, his _little_ problem became _a lot_ _bigger_.  Oliver knew what his mind was doing was wrong, but he just couldn't help it.  At the end of the day, no matter how hard he tried to move on with Susan, his heart just wasn't in it.  That was a truth he had been denying until tonight, and now he just couldn't deny it anymore.  It wasn't fair to either of them.

After accepting the truth that he and Susan were never meant to be anything more than a rebound relationship, Oliver immediately broke their current kiss and pushed Susan back an inch.  She must have bumped into something because a second later Oliver heard glass shatter across the floor.

"Oops." Susan giggled, looking over her shoulder to find a broken glass decorating the ground behind her.

"It's okay, I'll get that later."  Oliver quickly replied as he removed her grip from his dark, flannel button down.  "Look, Susan, we need to talk..."

"STOP OR I'll SWING!" A familiar voiced screamed.

Oliver instantly whirled around to see Felicity, dressed in pajama pants and a silk robe with big green leaves and giant white tulips on it, wielding a baseball bat above her head. She looked wide-eyed and frightened.  In response, he hastily lifted his hands in surrender as he spoke forcefully yet calmingly and said, "Felicity, _relax_.  It's okay, it's just us."

"Oh, thank god."  Felicity answered, taking a deep breath and dropping the bat at her side.  "I heard loud noises and thought someone was breaking in... that maybe Prometheus..."

"Hey, he's not here.  Everything is fine.  Just take a deep breath." Oliver told her soothingly, careful not to make any sudden movements.

As a panting Felicity held onto her heart and tried to slow her breathing, a peeved Susan hopped off the counter top, smoothed out her dress, and whispered loudly, "What is she even doing here?  I thought you said we would have the place to ourselves."

"We _were_..." Oliver trailed off, now wondering what happened to Felicity's weekend plans.  "Felicity, I thought you were flying out to Vegas for the weekend to visit your mom?"

"Yeah, I was." Felicity nodded.  "But stormy skies delayed my flight indefinitely, so I rescheduled it for next month.  I got back here about an hour ago and went straight to bed."

"And then we woke you up with all of our noise." Oliver put together, think of the clanking pans and broken glass.

Felicity nodded  before adding, "And then I totally ruined your date... again."

"Well, now that we've cleared things up can we have a little privacy?" Susan asked.

"Right, of course." Felicity agreed.  "I'll just head back to bed and put my ear plugs in and leave you two to your night.   Just forget I'm even here."  She finished quickly then padded back to her room as fast as possible.

As soon as Felicity was out of sight, Susan slid in front of Oliver and wrapped her arms around his neck as she cooed, "Where were we?"

Before she could lean in for a kiss, Oliver tugged her arms away and replied, "We were actually about to talk."

"Okaaay." Susan responded uncertainly and crossed her arms.

"I think we both know that this isn't working." He told her, figuring being direct was best.

"You're right." Susan agreed much to Oliver's surprise.  "It's time."

"Time for what?" Oliver questioned, knowing he wasn't lucky enough to have an easy break-up.

"For Felicity to get her own place.  I mean, I've been pretty cool about all this so far, but it's been three weeks, surely she has found some decent options by now." She asserted.

"Maybe.  I don't know, but she's a friend.  She can stay here as long as she needs." Oliver defended his roommate.

"Fine.  We can just use my place from now on," Susan replied, then in a more seductive whisper added, "and if all goes well, we could always make it an official thing."

With a smile she moved closer and Oliver immediately took a step back to keep her at a distance.

"I can't move in with you." Oliver told her seriously.

"Relax, I'm not asking you to right _now_."  She explained.  "I'm just thinking ahead...about our future."

Oliver sighed, knowing it was time to rip off the band aid, then said, "The thing is... I don't think we have a future.  I think we should break-up."

"I don't understand."  She told him, confusion flooding her face.  "One minute we're making out and everything is fine and the next you're dumping me?  I mean, what changed while Felicity--" As soon as the name rolled off her tongue, it was like something clicked into place in Susan's head, turning her confusion into anger.  "It's because of Felicity.  Isn't it?" She queried, narrowing her eyes.

"No, Susan, it's not like that..." Oliver tried to tell her.

"Then what is it like?"  She bit back.

"You want more than I can give you."  Oliver answered.  "You want a real and full relationship with someone who can give you a future, but that someone isn't me.  I'm not in the right place in my life to be that guy."

"Because you're still in love with Felicity?" Susan couldn't help but inquire.

"Because of a lot of things." Oliver told her, neither confirming nor denying her question.

"Right."  She responded in a disappointed tone.  "Well, I guess I should go."  Susan finished before moving to pick her jacket and purse up off the floor where she had haphazardly tossed them moments before.

"I really am sorry, Susan." He called out as she reached for the door.

"Screw you, Oliver."  She spat before exiting the apartment with a loud slam of the door.

Oliver suddenly had a craving for some Russian liquor, but instead he headed toward the hallway, knowing that the next thing he needed to do, before anything else, was check on Felicity.

*******

Felicity scampered into her bedroom and closed the door, but not before hearing Oliver tell Susan they needed to talk.  Did she hear that right?  If so, what did that mean exactly?  Were they breaking up?  She shook the questions away as fast as they had come, telling herself it was none of her business.  To keep herself from dwelling on  it or Oliver and Susan in general, Felicity decided to distract her mind by tidying up a bit. God knew her room needed a good cleaning.

Moving over to the bed, she tucked her aluminum bat back underneath in its rightful spot.  Wine wasn't the only thing Felicity learned to keep under there in case of an emergency.  When she had first moved to Star City, which was only Starling at the time, Felicity knew that she needed some form of protection in her apartment, and, given that guns made her uncomfortable, a bat seemed like the next logical choice.  So, after doing a little research and finding that aluminum bats were stronger, she had found the nearest sporting goods store and bought one. 

A wave of nostalgia hit Felicity as she reminisced.  What a simpler time that was.  Who knew how complicated her life would become when she decided to move to California... but would she change it if she could?  Not even a little.  Moving here was one of the best decisions she had ever made for so many reasons. 

Felicity was caught up in the memory of her first week in Starling as she put some clothes away, when a slamming door jarred her back to reality.  Apparently, date night hadn't ended well for Oliver and his girlfriend. Felicity was trying to decide how she felt about that, but, before she could figure it out, a knock sounded at her door.

After hastily grabbing some stray clothes off of the floor and tossing them into the hamper, Felicity gave her room a once over.  Deciding it was presentable if need be, she opened her door a crack to find Oliver standing there.  She didn't know what to say, so she just waited for him to speak.

"Hey," Oliver said softly.  "can we talk for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure." Felicity answered, opening the door and gesturing for him to come in.

Oliver stepped inside and took in the cluttered dresser, unmade bed, and hamper with clothes spewing out of it.  He smiled wistfully as he was reminded of the room they used to share, how she was the messiest of clutter bugs and he was the energizer bunny of organizing, constantly putting things back into their proper places.

"Look," She began to say, bringing Oliver's mind back to the present.  "I'm really sorry about the interruption, I didn't mean to ruin your night."

"You didn't."

"I caused a fight a between you and your girlfriend," Felicity countered, then continued.  "who seems to have left pretty angrily."

Oliver quirked a brow in response, wondering how she knew all that.

Seeing his confusion, she crossed her arms and shrugged, "I heard the door slam."

After nodding his head to accept her reasoning, he gave his own little shrug and said, "It is what it is.  She'll get over it eventually."  This was the truth, a vague version of it, but the truth nonetheless.  Oliver decided in that moment that he wouldn't mention the break-up to Felicity, at least not right away.  If he told her now, she would only blame herself, and Oliver didn't want that.  This was his mess and his mess only, and he was finally cleaning it up.

"Still..." Felicity trailed off sympathetically.

Oliver quickly interrupted, aiming to change the subject to avoid actually having to lie.  "Seriously, it's not a big deal.  Besides, I would have done the same thing if I thought someone was breaking into the apartment."

"Really?" She replied.

"Well, I probably wouldn't have come out swinging a baseball bat," Oliver said teasingly.  "but yeah."

Felicity rolled her eyes and tossed back playfully, "Hey, not all of us are trained by the Russian mob and League of Assassins, you know?"

Oliver cracked a small smile and then, after a brief moment of quiet, he blurted, "I miss this."

"What?" Felicity asked, caught off guard by the sudden topic change and wondering what 'this' he was referring to exactly.

"Us... talking... like friends." Oliver answered simply.

She sighed regretfully before replying, "Yeah, me too."

Oliver scratched aimlessly at the back of his head, while he stared at Felicity and asked, "Do you think that we could ever get back there?  That we could be friends again? _Real_ friends?"

Felicity contemplated his question as she headed over to her bed and sat down, bending one yoga pant clad leg in front of her while letting the other hang off the side.  "Maybe..."  She said finally.  "but only if we quit ignoring the elephant in the room."

"Is that a dig at Susan?" Oliver wondered aloud.

" _No_." Felicity smiled but quickly wiped it away.  "I'm talking about _us..._ and our messed up attempt to 'start fresh' in this new situation."

"It was a pretty stupid idea, wasn't it?" Oliver admitted, shoving his hands in his jean pockets and wanting to kick himself for being so naive.

"Your heart was in the right place, Oliver.  We just have too much history to start over.  That's why things have been so awkward and strained between us." Felicity explained.

"You're right." He replied, a pang guilt hitting him hard in the chest.  "So, where does that leave us?"

Felicity stared into Oliver's sad, yet hopeful eyes for a long second, then answered, "Well, we may not be able to start over... but we _can_ move on."

"How?" Oliver asked, willing to do anything to make things right between them again.

"By talking." Felicity told him as she fidgeted nervously with the corner of her robe.  "If we can talk things out and get some closure on our break-up, then I think we will be able to move on to a much better place."

"Okay, then."  Oliver said as he sat down on the bed next her.  "I'll go first."  Taking a deep breath, Oliver continued on.  "I am really, _really_ sorry that I lied to you about William.  When Samantha made me promise to keep him a secret, I didn't want to, especially from you, but I thought it was the only way.  I never wanted to hurt you, Felicity."

"I know, "  She responded softly.  "but you _did_ hurt me, Oliver.  I was ready to spend the rest of my life with you, and then, suddenly, I found out that you didn't really trust me.

"It's not that I _didn't_ trust you.  I just... _couldn't_." He tried to explain.

"Yes, you could have, and you _should_ have," She tossed back forcefully.  "because we were engaged...to be _married_... to be _husband_ and _wife_ , and husbands and wives are supposed to be _honest_ with each other." 

Oliver watched Felicity wipe a stray tear from her cheek before replying, "You're right.  I gave you that ring as a symbol of love and unity, and then acted solely in my own self interest.  I deserved to have it thrown back in my face."

"Maybe." Felicity whispered, then wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe.  Locking her gaze with his and noticing that she wasn't the only one fighting back tears anymore, she added, "But right now what you deserve is an apology."

Oliver stared at her quizzically as he queried, "What do _you_ have to apologize for?"

Felicity took a deep breath then said, "For making you believe our break-up was all your fault.  I mean, it _was_ mostly your fault, but I think I did overreact a bit and not just because I was mad at you but because I was scared.  After what happened between my parents, it made me afraid of marriage and ending up just like them.  I thought I had gotten over it, but I guess I didn't.  What I am trying to say is, I think on some level my fear of marriage was still there, bubbling under the surface, and I was just waiting for an excuse to call it off."

"Maybe."  Oliver repeated her previous response to him.  "But I didn't have to give you one."  It got quiet for a minute as he moved his hand over top of hers that sat splayed on the bed by her knee.  Giving it a tender squeeze, he went to add, "And for that I am truly sorry, Felicity."

"I'm sorry too, Oliver." She responded in-kind as she moved her free arm and wrapped it around his neck for a sweet half-hug, showing she meant the words just as much as he did.

Oliver's other arm automatically wound around her side to hug her back.  Not wanting to let go right away, he let his hold on her linger, and Felicity happily accepted the drawn out embrace.  As Oliver sat contentedly, breathing in the vanilla scent of her hair and tracing circles on her back with his thumb, he could tell that they finally had gotten the closure they needed and that the two of them were already in a much better place.


	8. Powerless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait for this chapter, but I promise it was worth it! It is a lot longer than usual and full of Olicity! Enjoy! ;)

When Felicity woke up the next morning, she felt liberated.  The talk with Oliver the night before lifted a huge, awkward weight from her shoulders.  For the first time since their break-up, she really felt like they could rebuild their relationship and become friends again, _real_ friends.

Embracing this new renaissance in her life, Felicity got dressed in one of the two athletic outfits she owned and followed YouTube tutorials for both a cardio and  a core workout.  Feeling much more awake and a lot more sweaty, she decided to whip up a healthy breakfast for herself.  Maybe some eggs?  Or a smoothie?  As Felicity raided the kitchen, she realized that there was a heavy lack of ingredients for either meal and settled on eating strawberry flavored Pop-Tarts instead.  With a shrug, she tore open the silver wrapper and dug in, knowing deep down that this health kick was never going to make it past the weekend anyway.

After her breakfast, Felicity grabbed a quick shower , blew her hair dry, and got dressed for the day in a navy blue and white striped romper that had spaghetti straps and long, flowing pant legs.  Pairing it with a matching cropped cardigan and Bobs, she finished the look with a simple necklace , light make-up, and her glasses.  Happy with the end result, Felicity smiled at her reflection in the floor length mirror that hung on the wall

Having nothing else to do and remembering how bare the kitchen was, Felicity decided she might as well go to the grocery store.  Heading into the living room area, she spotted her purse on the easy chair and went to pick it up. As she was mid-reach a voice called out to her.

"Hey, Felicity."

Whirling around, her hand flew to her heart as she spat out her response. "Mother fracker!"

"Sorry." Oliver replied quickly, trying to hide his smirk.  "I thought you saw me."

"That would be a no." Felicity told him as she tried to slow down her breathing.  Apparently, she had walked right by him as he sat on the couch and typed-away on  his cell phone.  She watched his fingers fly across the virtual keyboard and then added, "Any news on Prometheus?"

"No.  I'm just replying to a few emails before taking the rest of the day off as mayor."  Oliver answered.

"Well, I suppose no news is good news."  Not waiting for a response, Felicity grabbed her purse and double-checked to make sure she had her wallet.

"Going somewhere?" Oliver asked as he quirked a brow and watched her zip her hand bag closed.

"Well, since the kitchen is emptier than Big Bellies after Barry orders take-out, I'm gonna run to the grocery store." Felicity informed him, then added with a smirk, "Wanna come?  I could use the muscle."

Oliver grinned and said, "Sure, that way I can make sure you don't buy bruised fruit."

"It's not my fault.  It's the store.  I swear they only put out the bruised ones." Felicity defended.

"No." Oliver retorted, then stood and slid his phone into his pocket as he continued his teasing.  " _You_ just don't take the time to properly look for the good ones."

Felicity rolled her eyes, "Whatever... an apple's an apple.  But if it's that important to you, the you can be in charge of the produce."

"That's all I ask." Oliver quipped, then headed toward the door.

Shaking her head amusedly, Felicity grabbed her purse and followed.  After Oliver quickly slipped into his black leather jacket, he helped Felicity into her jean jacket, and they headed out into the bustling city.

******* 

Shopping had been pretty fun, but loading the groceries into the car had sucked big time.  It was pouring down rain, and Felicity's denim jacket did nothing to deter it.  By the time all of the bags were tucked safely into the vehicle, she was thoroughly soaked.  As Oliver slipped into the driver's seat, Felicity saw that he was soaked too.

"I guess we should have paid better attention to the weather." Felicity quipped as she took in his moist hair sticking up in different directions (she didn't realize how long it was these days), his soggy pants, and surprisingly dry torso.  His leather jacket clearly battled the rain much more bravely than her denim.

Oliver just looked at Felicity for a moment, trying to read her expression to see if she was joking or not.  He watched her wipe away some wet strands of hair that stuck erratically to her face as he fought the urge to reach out and do it himself.  Raking his eyes over her, he couldn't help but smirk in amusement.  Not an inch of her was dry.  She looked like a drowned rat.

Felicity grinned back in response, and, as if someone gave a silent cue, they both broke out into laughter.  After a long moment, the giggling finally subsided and Oliver said, "We should get home before the ice cream melts."

"Then you better hurry, Green Arrow,"  Felicity ribbed, then leaned forward and cranked the heat up before adding, "The clock is ticking."

Stifling a smile at the comment, Oliver shook his head and put the car in gear before pulling out into the monsoon that surrounded them.

*******

It was a quiet ride back to the apartment.  No one spoke until they got out of the car and Felicity said, "Thank god for enclosed parking garages with elevators that go straight to the apartment building."

"Does it really matter at this point?" Oliver asked as he opened the trunk.  "You are already soaked."

"It's the principle of the thing." Felicity informed him as she grabbed a bag in each hand.  "Now can we please stop talking about how wet I am?"

Just then Felicity turned around to find an old lady walking by giving her a strange look.  Looking between the lady and Oliver, she tried to explain herself, "I mean not wet as in--er...um... a down there kind of thing... I mean... I'm moist..." Feeling her cheeks turn a humiliating shade of red, Felicity spat out a final, "ugh! From the RAIN!"

The old lady, now even more disturbed, walked faster until she was safely in her beat-up Pontiac and then slammed the door closed.

"I seriously don't know why I talk sometimes." Felicity mumbled to herself as she and Oliver made their way to the elevator with their hands full of bags.

Oliver knew she was talking to herself but felt the need to respond anyway, and so, as they entered the elevator, he retorted, "It could have been worse.  In fact, you _have_ said worse.  Do you remember that casino mission when--"

"Don't even go there." Felicity cut him off, voice hard, knowing exactly what mission he was talking about.

Oliver was worried he'd hit a nerve, given her harsh tone.  However, when he cut a glance toward her, he saw Felicity was fighting a smile.  Before either of them could say anything more, the elevator dinged, opening up to a long hallway.  Silently, save for the squeaking and squishing of their wet shoes, the two of them walked to down the hallway until they found a brown door with _10C_ written on the front in golden metal letters.

Felicity readjusted her bags so they were both in one hand, using her newly freed fingers to dig around in her purse that hung on her shoulder and pull out her apartment key.  Unlocking the door, they made their way inside and set the bags on the kitchen island.

Oliver noticed Felicity was starting to shiver and said, "Hey, why don't you go change while I take care of the bags."

Felicity wanted to protest, but she was super uncomfortable in her water-logged clothes and was dying to put on something dry.  So, she simply nodded and waddled her way to her bedroom.  Once inside, she discarded her clothes, hanging them on the drying rack in the corner of her room.  Then, grabbing her towel from earlier that she had left on the same rack, Felicity patted herself dry and wrapped up her hair before changing into some pink _PINK_ sweats and matching fuzzy socks.  Next, she hung the towel back up and grabbed her blow dryer.  As she ran the hot air over her neck and head, she closed her eyes and moaned in pleasure.  When she was done, she ponytailed her hair and put on her glasses before heading back out to the kitchen.

Apparently, she was in her room for longer than she thought because she found the kitchen to be spotless except for Oliver, who was now in dry pants, pouring coffee.

"Is there anything left downstairs in the car?" She questioned a little timidly.

"Nope, it's all taken care of."  Oliver replied.  "Want a cup?" He added, gesturing to the coffee maker.

"Sure."  Felicity answered, taking a seat on one of the stools by the island that sat opposite of where Oliver stood.  "By the way, I'm sorry I left you to put everything away all by yourself.  I thought I would be back in time to help."

"It's okay."  Oliver told her honestly, then turned and set a steaming mug of coffee in front of her as he added,  "Since you paid for all of it, I think we can call it even." 

"Fair enough." Felicity smirked as she thought back to the argument they had over who would pay for the groceries.  Naturally, she had won and now she could properly relish in her victory as she sipped her coffee, enjoying the surge of warmth that fled through her.  As Oliver turned to get his own cup, Felicity slid her purse over and grabbed her phone from the front pocket, checking for messages or news alerts.  Unfortunately, there was nothing.  Taking another sip, she stared at her mug with its array of colors that formed different _FRIENDS_ quotes, but she wasn't reading them.  She got too lost in thought as she listened to the rumbling of the clouds and the pelting of the rain against the windows.  The rain shower was quickly picking up.

"Felicity." Oliver spoke loudly as he placed a hand on her shoulder, gathering her full attention.

"Hmmm?" She said, tearing her gaze away to meet his eyes.

Oliver stood near the end of the island with his steamy cup of black coffee, giving her a concerned look as he placed his hand back around his blue STAR Labs mug and inquired, "You okay?  I just called your name three times."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Felicity apologized as a light blush crept across her cheeks.  "I guess I just got a little distracted."

"I noticed." He responded softly.  "I noticed it earlier too."  He added as he recalled how Felicity zoned out a couple of times during the trip to the store.  Oliver tried not to let himself get too bothered by it at the time because she would snap right back to her quirky self seconds later, but now he couldn't help be a little worried.  He could feel in his gut that something was off.

When Felicity didn't say anything, Oliver tried again with a more direct approach.

"Felicity, I know something's bothering you.  Can you please talk to me about it?" He asked hopefully, then waited patiently for her to respond.

Feeling bad about worrying him, she took a breath then tried to explain.  "It's just, in the past our enemies have been pretty easy to figure out.  I mean, we obviously didn't know everything about them from the very beginning, but we knew enough to defend ourselves and our city and get the job done.  But this time... it's different.  Prometheus is different than anyone else we have ever faced.  I mean, we have next to _nothing_ on him, and I know what I said before... I know that I said that no news was good news, but it's not.  I _hate_ not knowing.  I hate not knowing _who_ Prometheus is or _what_ his ultimate plan is.  I hate not even knowing _where_ he is.  It _almost_ makes me miss Damian Darhk." Felicity snorted and Oliver just looked at her incredulously.  "Don't get me wrong, Darhk was a giant asshole who did terrible, unspeakable things, but at least he was always right in front of us, giving some sort of explanation.  This Prometheus guy though... he gives us _nothing_.  He just takes, and he takes, and he takes, and I... I feel helpless, totally and completely _powerless_."

Felicity avoided his eyes as she finished the last bit of her confession, feeling a little exposed and somewhat embarrassed after baring the whole truth of how she was feeling these days.  She hated admitting weakness.  She was a strong, independent woman after all.  However, when Oliver looked at her with those steely blue , puppy dog eyes, she found that she just couldn't lie to him.

Oliver took a deep breath as he digested her words, then spoke with a gentle voice, "I get it, I've been feeling the same way lately."

"You have?" She queried, meeting his gaze once more.

"Yeah, you're not the only one who's been letting Prometheus get under your skin.  Trust me, I have a hole in my bedroom wall and a slightly bruised hand that can back me up."  When Felicity just quirked a brow uncertainly in response, Oliver quickly added, "Don't tell Thea."

Felicity chuckled, feeling better already and said, "Don't worry.  Your secret is safe."

"Thanks." He smiled impishly.

 It got quiet for a second while Oliver took a sip of his coffee, and Felicity could help but continue her previous thought and say, "Your wall on the other hand... not so much."

"Yeah, well... Anyway..." Oliver interjected, stifling a laugh of his own.  "The point I'm trying to make here is that you are _not_ powerless, Felicity, because you are _not_ alone.  You have me and the rest of the team dealing with the same thing, and, by being there for one another and working together, we _will_ get through this, and we _will_ defeat Prometheus, just like we defeated Darhk and all the enemies before him."

"I hope you right." Felicity told him honestly.

"I _am_ right." Oliver promised, willing to do whatever it takes to keep it.

"I guess it's just hard to stay optimistic when the fight gets personal." She revealed, a pang of sadness hitting her chest as she thought of Billy.

Oliver nodded as he said, "Believe me, I know, but you have to stay strong... because while we have a team we can count on, Prometheus has no one.  No henchman, no partners, nobody he can trust.  That means sooner than later he is bound to slip up and make a mistake.  And when he does, we'll get him."

Felicity took a moment to let that sink in and then said, "You know, as a born and raised Vegas girl, I've learned a thing or two about the statistics of winning and losing.  Given our track record of previous victories and our six against one advantage, I have to say I like our odds."

"I'll cheers to that." Oliver told her as he lifted his shiny, ceramic mug then continued, "To having the odds in our favor."

Felicity did the same, quickly amending, "To having _a team_ in our favor."

Smirking, Oliver added, "And to _not_ being powerless."

They shared a wide smile and clinked their cups together as thunder, once more, rolled wickedly across the sky.  Lightning quickly followed as the two both took long sips of their coffee. Seconds after the flickering of light outside, the flickering of light _inside_ took place, followed by complete darkness.  Everything connected to the apartment's power supply had shut off from lamps to electronics to everything else in-between.

"You were saying?" Felicity couldn't resist commenting.

Oliver just rolled his eyes playfully, then asked, "Wanna help me find some candles?"

Nodding, Felicity carefully made her way to her room, using the walls to guide her, and dug through her side table drawer until she found what she was looking for: her lighter and bath time candles.  Making her way back out to the kitchen just as cautiously, Felicity set the candles on top of the island, lighting them one by one and spreading them out across the kitchen, living, and dining rooms.  As the open area became bathed in a soft glow, Felicity heard Oliver return from one of the rooms down the hall.  Turning around from placing her last candle on the dining room table, she met Oliver back at the island, watching him set down some more candles, which were probably Thea's, and a handgun.

"Whoa." Felicity called out in surprise as she ran her eyes over the weapon, feeling somewhat uncertain.  Bows and arrows were one thing, but she really hated guns. 

"Relax." Oliver told her, tone calm and soothing.  "It's only a tranquilizer gun."

"Oh," She retorted simply until, suddenly, another much less pleasant thought hit her hard in the gut.  "Wait... you don't think Prometheus has something to do with the power-outage, do you?"

"No, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared."  He explained as he made sure the gun was loaded, then slipped it behind his back and into his waistband.  Oliver then began to light the rest of the candles and pass them to Felicity to place around the room.  Once that was done, they sat back at the island in silence and continued drinking their coffee.  At least Oliver did.  Felicity just sat there, fidgeting with her fingers as she stared at her mug.

"Felicity, I didn't mean to worry you."  He apologized as a pained expression crept across his face.  "I promise that I am 100% sure that Prometheus has nothing to do with this situation.  I just wouldn't put it past him to take advantage of the loss of power, but given how bad this storm is, I have a feeling we are not the only ones taking the night off."

"You're probably right." Felicity said, but clearly wasn't convinced.

Just as Oliver began to think of something else he could say to make her feel better, Felicity grabbed her cell and checked her text messages.  He watched her smile as she replied and then tucked her phone into her hoodie pocket, only to go right back into her mini-depression from moments before.  Maybe discussion wasn't the best tactic to lift her spirits, but distraction seemed to work, at least momentarily.  Hmmm... what could he do to distract her and make her happy for longer than a few minutes?  All of a sudden, an idea struck him, and he grabbed both of their coffees and headed to the dining room table.

"Hey! What are you--" Felicity began to chastise.

"Sit." Oliver interrupted as he placed their coffees on the table in spots that sat opposite each other.  When Felicity gave him a perturbed look, he soften his voice and said, "Please?"

Sighing, Felicity obliged and sat in her designated spot as Oliver dashed out of the room.  Returning, less than a minute later, Felicity noticed something square in his hands, but it was hard to make out in the dim lighting.  Finally she inquired, "What is going on, Oliver?"

Revealing a small smile, he stood in front of her, holding up a deck of cards and replied, "I figured that since we have no electricity and nothing else to do that maybe "Vegas girl" could demonstrate her mad skill set."  He then tossed the cards to her and made his way around the table to his seat.

Felicity caught the deck, a little surprised with herself at the feat, then looked back to Oliver quizzically.  "You want to play poker... with me... even though we just established _twice_ now that I was raised in Las Vegas and therefore can and ultimately _will_ kick your ass?"

"Actually, I had another card game in mind.  Something simpler, yet just as fun.  Something Raisa taught me to play when I was a kid."  Oliver explained.

"If the next to words out of your mouth are 'Go Fish,' I will shoot you with your own tranq gun." Felicity quipped, only half-serious with the threat.  Not only was it a silly game, but it was the first card game she learned to play as a kid, one she had bonded over with her dad.  So, naturally, she now despised it with a passion.

Oliver chuckled then clarified, "I was going to say Crazy Eights, though she always called it Ochos Locos."  For a second, Oliver was caught in a memory of long ago as he thought about his old housekeeper who was like a second mother to him during his childhood.  He hoped that where ever she was now, she was safe and happy.  Raisa definitely deserved nothing less.

Taking in the sweet, warm smile that spread across Oliver's face, she nodded and said, "Ochos Locos it is."  then proceeded to remove the cards from their box, shuffle, and deal them out.

They played a few rounds, talking easily and aimlessly about whatever came to mind.  Felicity had forgotten all about her fear and hatred of Prometheus and seemed much happier if the laughing and smiling was any indication.  For that, Oliver himself was pretty happy too.

"Spades."  Oliver called as he placed the eight of diamonds on the stack.

"Seriously?  Another one?  That's like the third time this round." Felicity whined, a little miffed at the fact that she sucked at Crazy Eights.  Every other card game she ever played, she always dominated, but not this one.  What the frack?  "You have to be cheating!"

Oliver just laughed, remembering how Thea used to say the same thing whenever they would play this card game together.  Shit... Thea.  He was so preoccupied by the storm knocking out the power and comforting Felicity, that he completely forgot about his sister.  Checking his watch with a concerned expression etched into his features, he noted that she should have been home from work an hour ago.

"What's wrong?" Felicity inquired at his sudden change in demeanor.

"Thea should have been home by now." Oliver told her, absently rubbing his fingers together like he always did when he was feeling apprehensive.

"I wouldn't worry.  Thea's a big girl, she can take care of herself."  Felicity paused to draw cards, picking up four before finding a hearts card she could add to the pile.  Tossing it on top, she added, "And I'm not just saying that because she was trained Merlyn in League of Assassins 101.  I'm saying that because she is an adult in charge of her own life."

"I know Thea is independent and capable.  It's not like I expect her to check in every second of the day.  It's just... her being out in this storm makes me nervous."  Oliver explained, leaving out the fact that Prometheus out there on the loose also made him nervous for Thea's sake.  That was a big part of his worry, but he wasn't about to bring that up to Felicity.  Not when he spent that last hour trying to make her forget about him.

"Hey," Felicity said softly, lowering her cards a bit to give him her full attention.  "There is no need to worry.  I can assure you that Thea is just fine."

"How?" Oliver questioned.  He meant it to be rhetorical, but Felicity had other ideas.

Feeling a little guilty, she took pity on him and answered, "Because she texted me earlier and told me she was."

"She did?"

"Yup."

"Did she say where she was going after work?"

"Yup."

"Then where is she?" Oliver pressed, getting a little annoyed with her vague, one-word answers.

"I don't think I should say."  Felicity responded.

"Why not?" Oliver queried, tone slightly irritated.

"Because it's her business."  She told him honestly.  "And if she wanted you to know that she was at Rene's, she would have told you."

It got quiet for a moment as Felicity took her turn again and placed down a card.  She didn't even realize her faux-pas until Oliver repeated, "She's at Rene's?"

Felicity immediately winced and said, " _Crap_."  Thea was so going to kill her for this.  Putting down her hand of cards, she clasped her hands together and began to explain, "Look, it's not a big deal.  They've just been hanging out a lot recently." 

Oliver slowly digested this new information, unsure of how he felt about it.  After a few seconds, he wonder out loud, "Are they hanging out as friends... or friends with benefits?"

Felicity immediately scolded Oliver's callousness as she threw the empty cardboard card package at him and yelled, "Oliver!  That's your sister you're talking about!  Geez!"

Oliver easily dodge the cardboard and replied, "I know, I didn't mean for that to come out that way.  I'm just... I'm trying to process all this."

Giving him the benefit of the doubt, Felicity decided to play nice and give him the truth as she knew it and said, "Look, as far as I know, they are just friends and haven't crossed lines beyond that... but I think she wants to."

Oliver nodded, feeling slightly better that his sister wasn't hiding a full-blown relationship from him, but was still quite confused.  "I just don't understand.  Why didn't Thea ever mention anything to me about her and Rene before?"

"Gee, I have absolutely no idea why a girl wouldn't want to tell her big brother, who's been trained to kill by multiple deadly organizations, that she has feelings for his good friend and vigilante co-worker."  Felicity retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm as she gave him a pointed look.

"Okay, I'm starting to get it." He responded sheepishly.  "I just hate that she felt the need to keep secrets from me after everything we've been through."

"For what it's worth, I don't think Thea is purposely trying to hurt you." She informed him.  "I think she's just trying to keep things on the down-low until she figures out how she feels.  If she decides she does like Rene and they become something more serious, I am sure you will be the first to know."

"Right after you, I'm sure." Oliver joked.

"Well, duh." Felicity tossed back teasingly.

They shared a smile as they felt some of the tension ease away, and picked up their cards to finish their game.  As Oliver played a card, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you think they will?"

Caught off guard by the question, Felicity simply said, "What?"

"Thea and Rene."  He clarified.  Do you think they will become something more serious?"

"Hard to say." Felicity answered noncommittally.

"Come on, Vegas girl.  Analyze the situation.  What are the odds?" He repeated the question, goading her into giving a real answer.

Trying and failing to hide a smirk, she looked Oliver square in the eye and said, "Fine.  Given Thea's type when it comes to the men she dates, the look she gets on her face when she talks about Rene, and the way Rene talked about her the other day when I oh so casually brought her up.... I would have to say that the odds of them become more serious are _very_ , _very_ good."

Oliver nodded as he tossed back, "I guess she could do worse."

"Oh, stop it." Felicity told him.  "You know you love Rene.  He's like a mini you... all tough and broody on the outside, but on the inside really a big softy.  Not to mention you can both super impulsive at times."

"I am not impulsive." Oliver disagreed.

"And argumentative." Felicity added simply, temporarily ignoring his retort as well as the fact that he didn't deny being a big softy.

Oliver sighed, shook his head amusedly, and said, "I don't know about Rene being a 'mini me' per se, but I do know that he is a good guy.  Don't get me wrong, he can be reckless at times... but he always has good intentions."

"Just like someone else I know." Felicity jibed.

"Fine, I give." He relented, knowing Felicity wasn't going to let this go.  "Rene is my mini me, my twin, my brother from another mother, and I would be so proud to have him date Thea.  Are you satisfied?" He queried as he finished his mostly sarcastic rant.

"Oh, yes.  Very much so."  Felicity smiled cheekily.  "Especially since I thought to open the voice recorder app on my phone.  I was trying to save battery considering our power predicament, but this was so worth the 12% loss." She finished, revealing her cell phone and waving it for emphasis.

The smile wiped from Oliver's face as he sat stunned and a little embarrassed, listening to Felicity's admission.  After a second, he spoke slowly as he said, "Felicity, please tell me you're kidding."

They locked eyes and Oliver stared at her for a long moment as he searched her for the truth.  Felicity kept her face unchanged as she stared back until finally she cracked a smile and said, "I'm kidding."

Oliver let out a breath and was able to relax once again, knowing that no one would ever hear his silly outburst, especially Rene.  Even though Oliver _did_ think they were a lot alike and really _would_ be happy to see him date Thea, Rene _didn't_ have to know that.  After all, what fun would that be?  Oliver much preferred giving him a hard time."

"You're too easy." Felicity taunted with a giggle.

"And you're terrible at Crazy Eights." Oliver teased back.  "By the way..." He trailed off as he placed his last card down on the pile in the middle.  "I win... _again_."

Felicity's mouth popped open, and then she shouted, "I want a rematch!"

Oliver placated her and they played again.  Of course, he won that game and the two more after that before Felicity finally gave up.

She didn't mind the losses too much though, because she already had her victory.  You see, as a girl born and raised in Las Vegas, Felicity not only learned how to read people and figure out odds, but she also learned about the art of bluffing.  That's why Oliver was none the wiser that she had a 52 second recording  of his voice saved to her phone.

Keeping that little bit of information to herself, Felicity talked Oliver into playing poker, not for money but with Thea's secret stash of girl scout cookies, and of course totally kicked his ass just like she said she would.  They played a few other cards games after that, then Felicity brought out a couple games of her own, teaching Oliver how to play Mad Gab, 5 Second Rule, and then Phase 10.  She dominated the first two, while Oliver came out as the champion for the latter. 

By the time they finished the last game, it was getting late and they had destroyed two bags of chips and four boxes of Thea's cookies.  Not the healthiest supper, but, without electricity, cooking a real dinner was out of the question.  Striking a deal, Felicity agreed to clean up the games while Oliver put away the snacks and took care of any garbage.

Once everything was taken care of, Oliver said, "I think I'll wait up for Thea.  You go ahead and get some sleep."

"Oh, no." Felicity replied.  "If _you_ wait up for her, she might get suspicious and figured out that I told you about Rene. _I'll_ wait up for her.  That way, she won't suspect a thing."

"Fine." Oliver acquiesced.  "And Felicity?"

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Thanks for caring so much about Thea." He told her with warm smile.

"Of course, she's one of my best friends, and I'm always concerned about my friends... _all_ of them." Felicity said, implying she wasn't just talking about Thea.

Oliver nodded and responded, "Good.  Sleep tight, Felicity."

As he headed back toward his room, Felicity stretched out on the sofa, feeling perfectly content.  Pulling out her cell phone, she chuckled as she listened to the recording once more, then emailed it to herself for safe keeping.  As the email sent, her phone went black after using the last of her battery and shut itself off.  Telling herself, again, that it was worth it, she set the phone on the side table near her head and snuggled back into the couch, thinking back over the events of the day.  She really had a great time with Oliver from their shopping spree to their impromptu game night.  It was fun to see his playful side and sweet to see how much he cared about his sister.

Her final thought before she drifted off to sleep was that she should have thanked Oliver like he did her.  She should have thanked him for being a good friend, for comforting her in a weak moment, and, most importantly, for reminding her that she is never powerless...

...even in the darkest of times.


	9. Empowered

**MEANWHILE...**

"Thea you have a customer at table six." The hostess called back to her from the dining area doors.

"I'm on it." Thea said as she grabbed a tray of burgers and fries and headed out of the kitchen.

Plastering a smile on her face that was cheesier than the burgers in her hand, Thea delivered table four their food and made sure they were satisfied.  Her smile immediately became much more sincere as she watched the young couple in front of her bond with their little girl who couldn't have been more than two or three years old.  The dad poked his daughter on the nose with a fry, making her giggle and reveal a toothy smile, while the mother shook her head at both, fighting a smile of her own as she brushed loose curls out of the toddler's eyes.  The scene made Thea's stomach twist with a feeling she couldn't quite place.  Not having the time to figure it out, she let the feeling pass and headed to table six.

Slipping her notepad and pen out of her apron, she flipped open to a clean sheet, walked down the aisle way, and spoke cheerfully, "Welcome to Big Belly Burger.  How are you doing today?"

"A lot better now." A familiar voice tease from behind a menu.

As the customer set the menu down, Thea found Rene sitting there, giving her a cheeky smile and couldn't stop the smirk that formed on her lips.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, feigning annoyance, which neither of them bought for even a second.  Before he could call her out on it, Thea went on.  "Let me guess... you just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought you'd stop in for a bite?"

"Actually, I was at home making dinner, listening to it rain cats and dogs, when I realized your shift was almost over." Rene informed her, then added, "I figured you could use a ride."

Thea was a little stunned at this thoughtfulness.  She had been dreading riding home in this weather on her bike and was leaning toward calling Ollie for a lift, but didn't want to be a bother, especially considering all he had on his plate these days.  However, now it was apparently no longer an issue with Rene coming to her rescue, not that she needed a hero.  She could take care of herself just fine.  It was something she prided herself on, and yet... a part of her liked that in this instance she didn't have to take care of herself.  That same part also liked the idea that someone else put her first purely because they wanted to.  That wasn't something Thea was used to in her life.  So, naturally, she couldn't help but smile in appreciation at Rene's offer until a certain thought struck her.

"Wait... how is riding your bike, or should I say Oliver's bike, going to be any different than riding my own?"

"I have a car, smarty-pants." Rene retorted teasingly.

"Since when?" Thea questioned, a little surprised she hadn't known this fact already, considering they had been hanging out quite a bit these past few weeks.

"Since last week when I decided it was time to grow up a little bit and get some wheels of my own." He told her.

Crossing her arms and quirking a brow, Thea queried, "So you didn't steal this one then?"

"Nope." Rene drew out, popping the "p" for dramatic effect.  "I paid actual money and even sprang for insurance."

"Wow." Thea replied, a bit impressed, though she couldn't help but tease,  "You _are_ all grown up."

"Yeah, well... Quentin got me a good deal on one of the cars in SCPD's impound lot that I just couldn't pass up."

"Yeah, well... That Quentin is a good man." Thea said honestly as she mimicked his words and tone from before.

"Yeah, he is." Rene nodded in agreement.

Tucking stray hair behind her ear, Thea grinned and went on to say, "And I suppose you're not so bad either."

Rene's smile widened as he asked, "Is that your way of saying you'll take me up on the ride?"

Thea hesitated, and, in that moment, thunder crashed loudly in the grey skies outside, loud enough to make her jump a little in her seat.  Within the next few seconds, Thea found herself rushing to say, "I'd love a ride."  Ignoring Rene's chuckle, she continued.  "Meet me outside in five?"

He nodded obligingly, then got up from the small table and headed outside to pull his car around back.

*******

Exactly five minutes later, Thea punched out, grabbed her purse and jacket, and headed out the back entrance to find Rene waiting for her just like he said he would.  Standing under the awning, protected from the storm, Thea smiled then dashed over to his car, a silver Honda Civic, and made it inside just as lightning lit up the gloomy sky.

"Nice." Thea commented as she gave the vehicle's interior a onceover.

"It's nothing fancy, but it does the job." Rene replied, putting the car in drive, which actually looked pretty new for being nearly a decade old.

"It's perfect, Rene." Thea assured, giving his hand that sat on the center console an approving squeeze.

He just looked at her a moment and smiled, before returning his gaze to the road in front of him.  He remained quiet as he navigated the fairly empty streets, not missing the fact that Thea's hand still rested on top of his.  That seemed to be happening more and more recently, her lingering touches.  Not that he minded.  He did have the urge to tease her about it though, but was afraid if he did, she would stop.  So, for once in his life, he bit back the sarcasm and shut up, enjoying Thea's presence.

Minutes later, Thea absently pulled her hand away to check her phone for messages.  After playing a word against Curtis in Words With Friends, she looked back to see they were turning right at an intersection.

"You were supposed to turn left." She told him.

"That depends on where we're going." He said smugly.

"Okay, where are we going, then?" Thea questioned amusedly.  She should have known he had something up his sleeve.

"You remember that dinner I was making?" Rene queried.

"Yeaaaah." Thea answered uncertainly.

"Turns out there is enough for two."

"Oh, really?"

"Yup."

"So, you thought you'd just ambush me into a date?" Thea asked dryly, not mad, but amused.

Rene thought for a moment then said, "Not ambush... I just wanted to surprise you."

Thea smirked and finished his thought, "In a way where I couldn't say no?"

"Exactly." Rene nodded, making Thea laugh out loud, a sound that was way better than anything the radio could ever produce.

"Well, you're lucky I'm hungry." She quipped, then pulled out her phone to text Felicity her plans.  That way, neither she nor Oliver would be worried about her being out late in the storm.  After pocketing her phone, they fell into silence for the rest of the short car ride.

*******

"Welcome to my humble abode." Rene said as he opened the door to his apartment and stepped aside, gesturing for Thea to enter first.

Walking through the threshold, Thea made her way inside to find a decently sized living area.  Behind it was an open kitchen area and in-between the two a hallway opened up and stretched back further into the apartment, leading the way, Thea assumed, to the rest of the rooms inside this place.  She smiled as her eyes roamed over the living room, noting the large sofa, knick-knacks on the walls and shelves (mostly hockey related), and the shag rug sprawled across the wood floor.  Thea thought it looked homey and cozy, so she told him so.

"Thanks." Rene smiled bashfully.  "I'm gonna go finish getting dinner ready.  Make yourself comfortable." He continued as he gestured toward the couch then headed into the kitchen.

Thea gave him a nod as she watched him leave, but instead of sitting down she made a bee-line to the hallway, easily finding the bathroom.  Shutting herself inside, Thea looked into the mirror over the sink and gave herself a once-over.  She didn't look horrible, but she didn't look great either.  Removing her make-up bag from her purse she did a quick touch-up then ran her hands through her hair, smoothing out any kinks and attempting to give it more volume.  _Better._ Thea told herself.  As she put her make-up bag in her purse, Thea rummaged for her vanilla scent perfume.  Unfortunately, she must've forgot to pack it this time because it was nowhere to be found.  Thea angrily zipped her bag shut, looked in the mirror one last time, and sighed.  "Guess this is as good as it's gonna get." She mumbled to her reflection, thankful she wore a fitted, basic, white tee to work today.  It didn't look half-bad paired with her leather jacket and jeans.

Feeling somewhat better about her appearance, Thea made her way back down the hall.  Hearing clanking in the kitchen and a muffled swear word from Rene, she decided dinner wasn't ready yet and veered off into the living area.  Reaching over the back of the couch, Thea set her purse on the corner cushion and began walking around the room.  She took in a collage of oil paintings that hung on the wall, landscapes and city-scenes that were beautifully done.  The artist really had an eye.  Checking the signature, Thea noted the name 'Laura' and made a mental note to ask Rene about her later.

Moving along, Thea came across shelves full of hockey memorabilia.  There were pucks on display, some old and worn, others brand new and signed.  There were also bobble-heads, a hockey mask,  hockey gloves and lots of other hockey-esque things.  Next to the shelves on the wall, Thea found a plethora of pictures hanging.  The pictures started with framed hockey tickets and a framed jersey then flowed into actual photos of Rene and friends at the hockey games.  Thea smiled at each memory as she slowly looked them over, taking in every detail.  Suddenly, the smile fell as she came across a photo of Rene with a beautiful blonde.  However, it wasn't the blonde that bothered her, but the beaming young girl with long, dark hair that stood between them.  The little girl was adorable with her warm brown eyes and dimpled smile... the _same_ warm brown eyes and dimpled smile that she saw on Rene every day.  She also didn't miss the fact that the girl too had the same nose and face shape as the blonde woman standing beside her.  Eyes wide and curious, Thea reached out and pulled the photo off the wall to get a better look.  As she did so Rene walked in the room and called out to her.

"Dinner is served." He spoke cheekily.

"Um... Rene?" Thea said, ignoring his comment.  "Who is this?" She asked as she held up the framed photo in her hand for him to see.  Thea already knew the answer, but she had to hear him say it out loud and make it real.

Coming to stand next to her, he grabbed the photo and grinned.  That's my ex-wife, Laura,"

 _Laura_. Thea repeated in her head silently, all the paintings suddenly making  a lot more sense.

 "...and that's my daughter, Zoe." He finished after a moment.

 _Daughter... Rene has a daughter_.  Even though this just confirmed the suspicion she had already had, Thea still felt dumbstruck.  How could she not have known about this?  How did this topic not come up before now? 

While Thea was thrown by the revelation, Rene hung the picture back in its designated spot and went on to explain, "This was Zoe's first hockey game.  She _loved_ it.  She never stopped smiling the whole time, except for when she was trashing the refs."  Rene told her as he straightened the frame.  He paused a moment to step back and admire the photo one more time.  Once he determined it looked good, he continued.  "Yeah, she's definitely a chip off the old block.  In fact, there was this one time..." Rene began, about to launch into a funny Zoe story.  However, when his eyes flicked back over to Thea, he stopped himself.  Taking in the perplexed expression on her face, he immediately got concerned...and then it hit him.

"Oliver never mentioned any of this to you, did he?" Rene questioned.

"That would be a no." Thea informed him before tossing back hastily,  "Wait... Oliver knew about this?"

"Yeah," He nodded.  "I guess I figured he would have told you.  That is, if Felicity didn't blab it first."

"Felicity knows _too_?  Did you tell the whole team?" Thea queried, feeling slightly amused and little more confused.  She really hated being the last to know things.

"No... I told Curtis.  _He_ told the whole team." Rene answered.

"Ah."  She said simply, working to process it all.  "So, what exactly is the deal then?  With your family, I mean.  Are you divorced?"

Rene took a deep breath before responding, "It's a long story, but the short version is that Laura died unexpectedly, and I didn't cope with it very well.  I made too many mistakes and now Zoe is being raised in foster care."

Thea noticed his face pale a bit as he took on a pained expression.  Feeling awful about what he has suffered through, she offered a meaningful "I'm so sorry, Rene."

"It is what it is," Rene replied with a shrug.  "I can't change what happened or how I acted in the past, but I realized recently that I _can_ change how I act right now.  That's why I've decided to fight for custody of Zoe.  And it turns out that I actually have a decent shot at getting her back."

"That's great."  Thea beamed, placing her hand on his arm.  Giving him a loving squeeze, she added, "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks." Rene replied as his smile widened.

Thea studied his face for a moment and noticed a blush creeping over his cheeks.  She was about to tease him when Rene began to lean in.  A part of her really wanted to close the distance and meet him halfway for the kiss they have both been wanting for weeks now, but another part was pulling her back.  Unfortunately, the latter part was stronger, and so Thea took a step away from Rene and toward the kitchen.

"Dinner." She managed to spit out hurriedly.  "Let's have that dinner.  I'm starved."

"Okaaay."  Rene said confusedly, wondering if he did something wrong.  "After you."  He added politely, extending his arm toward the kitchen entry way.

Thea led the way into the next room, stopping short once she saw the table in front of her.  It was small and oval-shaped with a white, lace table cloth.  On top sat two place-settings of vintage, ceramic plates of different patterns and colors along with plain silverware.   In the middle of the table was a small vase holding a single red rose.  Around the vase, four mini candles were placed strategically forming an elegant compass rose.  The whole set-up was simple yet beautiful.  So much so that it left Thea with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"What's all this?" Thea wondered aloud.

"Oh, you know, just some stuff that I just happened to have laying around." Rene said casually as he pulled out Thea's chair for her.

Thea quirked a brow and replied, "Like how you just happened to make enough food for two?"

"Exactly."  He retorted, tossing her a wink.

Thea rolled her eyes and stifled a smile as she sat down in her seat.  As she pulled herself forward and got settled, Rene grabbed their plates and filled them each up with a tossed salad, dinner roll, and pasta.

"That smells heavenly."  Thea praised as Rene set her plate down in front of her.  "What is it?'

"My specialty," Rene said as he took the chair opposite her. "Pasta Primavera."

"Impressive." She replied, placing her napkin on her lap.  "I didn't know you could cook."

"I can't.  Not really.  Unless, it involves pasta." He admitted.  "Noodles are pretty easy to cook, plus you can do em' up however you like."

Thea nodded her understanding then took a bite.  As the flavor hit her tongue, her eyes rolled back in her head in delight.  "This. Is. Amazing."

"Glad you like it." Rene responded as he watched her take another big bite and moan loudly in response.  The sound instantly made him hungry for something other than food, but he pushed those feelings away... for now.  After their brief awkward moment in the living room, he wasn't exactly sure where he stood with Thea, so he figured it would be better not to push the whole romance thing, even though the whole purpose of this dinner was to reveal his true feelings.  Geez, how did things get so complicated so fast?

Not wanting to complicate things any further, Rene decided to keep the conversation light and simple.

"So, what about you?  Can you cook?"  He asked, genuinely curious.

From there, the conversation took on a flow of its own as they bounced from one topic to another, laughing and teasing and learning more about each others' likes and dislikes.  Eventually, the discussion lulled and the plates were empty.  Rene took that as his cue to clean-up a bit.  Moving to stand, he grabbed his plate then gestured to hers and queried, "You finished?"

"Yep."  She answered as she stood , grabbed her plate with one hand, and reached her free-hand out to him.  "Allow me."

"You don't have to do that." He told her.

"I insist."  She tossed back.  "Seriously, you cooked a wonderful meal.  The least I can do is clean up."

"I don't think--" He began to argue but was interrupted.

"Rene,  don't make me kick your ass..." Thea cut him off.  "because you know I can."

"Fine."  Rene relented without officially admitting that Thea was right about the ass-kicking thing.  "How about we do it together."

Thea smirked as she replied, "I'll wash, you dry."

As the two of them did the dishes, Thea hummed a little tune, feeling perfectly content.  They worked like they were an old married couple who did this ritual every night, an idea that both thought of at one point or another and that neither hated.  Once the pots, pans, and plates were washed, Thea began scrubbing down the glasses. 

After rinsing the first one and handing it to Rene, he grabbed it, fingers overlapping and brushing against hers.  He could have sworn he felt some sort of spark shoot between the two of them, just like every other time they held hands or had any type of skin on skin contact.  Except, _this_ time,  there was no doubt that Thea felt it too based on the way her eyes bore into his, flickering to his lips and back like she wanted to kiss him as badly as he did her.  Then, all of sudden, Thea jerked her hand away, causing the glass to fall and shatter all over the floor.

"Crap.  My bad." She mumbled then started to bend over to clean up the shards with a dishtowel.

"Thea, stop." He said in a soft yet commanding tone as he blocked her movements.  "I don't care about the glass... but I do care about _you_.  What's going on?"

"Nothing." She played dumb.

"Thea, don't make kick _your_ ass this time." He quipped, only half-joking as he used her own threat against her.

She sighed, hiding a small smile that was trying to form on her lips and said, "I don't know what you want me to say."

"How about the truth."  He pressed.  When Thea remained silent, he stepped forward so she was forced to look up into his eyes and give him her full attention then said, "Fine, I'll go first.  My truth, is that I really like you, Thea.  Hell, I _more_ than like you, and I want us to be closer in _every_ way possible.  Most of all, I want you to be a more official part of my life.  I thought you felt the same, but tonight things got weird, and now I don't know what to think.  If I freaked you out by dropping all that baggage on you about Laura and Zoe, then--"

"No," Thea interjected, putting an end to his rant.  Her heart was racing at his confession.  His words made her feel special and horrible at the same time.  She knew she had to straighten things out and let the chips fall where they may.  Rene deserved that much.  "I wasn't freaked out.  Surprised? Definitely... but not freaked out.  I mean, I get it.  We all have baggage.  Hell, I'm the baggage queen with my murderous parents, vigilante brother, and league of assassins training.  So, trust me when I say I would never judge you for _your_ family issues."

"Then what's the problem?  What's bothering you?" He queried, wanting to desperately figure things out and make everything all right again.

Pushing some hair behind her ear, Thea took a deep breath and responded, "You want the truth?  Well, here it is.  I want you.  I want _us_... and I know that's not quite as poetic as how you put it, but it's how I feel.  Plain and simple."  Ignoring the way Rene was currently giving her a cheeky grin, she went on with her spiel.  "But when you mentioned getting your daughter back, I knew it couldn't happen.  At least, not right now."

"Why not?"  Rene asked, smirk completely wiping away as thunder ferociously rolled through.

"Because... being there for your daughter isn't going to be easy, it's gonna require your full attention, both during court and after you win custody back, and you _will_ win Zoe back ... but only if you don't have any unnecessary distractions.  And if we started something now, that's exactly what I'd be for you."

"Thea, you've got it all wrong." Rene said softly yet forcefully as he slid his hands tenderly around her upper arms.  Stroking small circles with his thumbs, he continued.  "You could never be a distraction.  In fact, you're the reason I've decided to fight for custody in the first place."

"Really?" Thea retorted in surprise.

"Yeah," Rene told her honestly.  "Quentin had been bugging me about it for weeks...he even ambushed me with a visit from Zoe at the office a few days ago, but, even then, I wasn't sure that I was what's best for her.  It wasn't until I saw you later that evening that I changed my mind."

"You mean the night we star-gazed on my roof?"  Thea questioned, thinking back on the night but not recalling anything real significant happening.

Rene nodded then continued, "You called me out on being less impulsive, then went on about how I'd changed since we first met.  It  made me realize I _had_ changed...and it was all because of you."  He told her, moving his hands down her arms and intertwining their fingers together.  "You made me want to be a better man, to be somebody you could be proud of, and so I became that person.  And I knew if I could do right by you, then I could do the same for my daughter."

"Of course you can." Thea told him.  "I never had any doubts about you being a great dad.  I just think it would be better if I wasn't in the way."

"Maybe it would be _easier_ that way," Rene relented.  "but it wouldn't _better,_ not by a long shot."  He finished, pulling her closer so he could look right into bluish-green orbs, their noses just inches apart.

Thea gulped as she looked slightly upward into his intense brown eyes then whispered, "Why not?"

"Because," He retorted as he closed gap between them, shrinking it down to mere millimeters.  Grazing her nose with his, Rene continued in his own soft yet husky voice.  "I'm falling in love with you, Thea Queen."

Thea's heart swelled at his admission, but before she could figure out how to reply, they were rudely interrupted by a roaring crash of thunder and a massive crack of lightning that apparently hit a nearby power source for, within a few seconds after, all the lights went out.

Rene and Thea didn't break their embrace or lessen their proximity, but the sudden noise did cause their heads to jerk back a bit in surprise.  Thea glanced quickly around the room, now covered in darkness, noting the candles on the dining table still burning dimly across the way.  It seemed to make the moment that much more romantic, like a higher power was looking out for them and urging them on.  A light smile played on her lips at that thought as Thea glanced back into Rene's eager eyes.  Studying his face that was bathed in the warm glow of the flickering candlelight, Thea new exactly how she felt about Rene for the first time since they met.  However, instead of simply _telling_ him, she figured it would be much better to _show_ him.

Rene held Thea close, not letting the storm ruin their moment.  He just dropped a pretty big bomb on her, and he wasn't about to let her get away without some kind of response.  So, he stood patiently in the near darkness and waited for what felt like hours.  In reality, it was really was only a few seconds before Thea opened her mouth to speak.  At least, that was what he thought she was going to do.  Instead, Thea closed the distance hanging between them and kissed him.

The kiss, starting off as short and sweet, rapidly became long and hot as Rene moved Thea's hands up and around his neck and moved his own to her waist, pulling her flush against him.  The kissing continued passionately as Rene let his hands roam free, exploring Thea's taut behind for a long moment.  Hearing her moan in pleasure, his hands quickly traveled back to her waist, lifting Thea onto the counter top behind her. 

Thea immediately opened her legs, so he could stand between them and be as close to her as possible.  As Rene's fingers made their way under her leather jacket and danced along her spine, she knew it had to go.  Hastily, Thea ripped off her jacket and allowed Rene to toss it aside.  Next, her hands urgently reached for the hem of Rene's long-sleeved shirt.  As his arms automatically rose above his head, she whisked it up and off him with ease, exiling it to the floor as well.

Rene brought his hands up to her jaw this time, cradling it ever so gently as he began to ravish her mouth with his own once more.  Simultaneously, he felt her cool fingers splay across his chest and trace the different muscles in his ripped torso as they made their way down... down... down.  Thea was getting dangerously low when he grabbed her hands and lifted them up high.  Pulling back slightly and breaking their current kiss, he gave her a mischievous grin then removed her t-shirt in one swift movement, like she did to him a moment ago, exposing a white lacey bra that made his mouth water.

As they continued to make-out yet again, Thea thought she might explode at the feel of their skin on skin contact.  She was pretty sure the feeling was mutual too based on the movement coming from his nether region.  Thea was so ready to explore that area next, but held off, wanting to draw this moment out as much as possible.  So, she worked her hands slowly back up over his abdominals and pectorals until she was able to wind her arms back around his neck where she let her fingers play with the hair at his nape.  Thea let out a gasp as Rene slid her bra strap down her shoulder and began to nuzzle her neck.  His hands traveled along her sides as he caressed the delicate spot near her collarbone with his mouth.

As he inhaled the wonderful scent that was Thea Queen, he moaned loudly and said, "You smell amazing."

Thea winced, remembering her lack of perfume and stated the obvious. "I smell like fried food."

Rene pulled back to look at her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as he smiled cheekily and said, "Exactly."

Thea was mid-eye roll when he kissed her again, one hand gently caressing her cheek, the other on her hip.  Within the next few seconds, Thea found herself squealing as Rene firmly gripped her waist and lifted her off of the counter.  Her legs immediately wrapped around his midsection and she held on to him tightly as Rene turned around and blindly led them down the hallway toward the bedroom, ready to wait out this storm as long as humanly possible... and then some!

****

Rene and Thea went a couple rounds, cuddled, fell asleep for a bit, then repeated the process.  By the time Thea finally managed to drag herself out of Rene's bed and get dressed, it was nearly midnight and the storm had long since passed, leaving nothing more than a light rain its wake..

"I don't understand why you don't just stay."  Rene pouted, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat leaning against his headboard.

"Because... if I come home in the morning, it'll just bring up a bunch of awkward questions from Oliver."  Thea explained as she sat on the edge of the bed and slipped on her shoes.  "Besides, do you really want my brother, the Green Arrow, to find out we're dating through a tactless and totally cliché walk-of-shame?"

Rene thought for a moment and pictured an angry-ass Oliver trying to kill him.  After a beat, he nodded and said, "Yeah, that may not be the best way to-- wait... hold on a sec..." He interrupted himself, sitting up ramrod straight as another thought registered in his mind.  "did you just say we're dating?"

"Yeah...that's what you wanted.  Right?"  Thea turned to look at him and smirked knowingly.

"Hell, yeah."  He said, scooting up closer to Thea, grabbing her hand, and giving it a squeeze.

"Good.  That's what I want too."  She smiled more meaningfully then leaned over and gave him a kiss.

It was meant to be quick, but Rene had other ideas as he dragged her playfully back into bed.

"Stay." He whispered pleadingly as he laid on his side and pulled her front into his and began kissing her neck.  Thea moaned in appreciation then told him, "My cab will be here in five minutes."

"That's plenty of time." Rene said confidently, then rolled over so he was completely on top of Thea and proceeded to show her just how pleased and completely empowered he felt by his new relationship status.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! Working in field of education makes May/June a hectic time. Please bare with me! More to come as soon as possible! XOXO.


	10. Deep Talks

**Two weeks later...**

Felicity was sitting at the dining room table, using her laptop to run a city-wide scan for the face of Prometheus AKA Adrian Chase.  It was pretty much the sole purpose of all her electronic devices these days ever since Oliver found out the truth after paying a visit to Talia al Ghul.  This revelation put everyone on edge, especially after Oliver publicly confronted him.  The bastard didn't even blink.

_THUD!_

She flinched at the sound of Oliver slamming the metal pot on the stove.  After a few more slams of cupboards and drawers, he began filling up a measuring cup with water.  Once he filled the pot and set it to boil, he grabbed a ceramic bowl from the shelf below the stove and smacked it down on the counter with much more force than necessary.  The loud bang made Felicity flinch once more. 

Deciding enough was enough, she stood up from the table and said, "THAT'S IT."  Marching toward Oliver, Felicity shooed him away from the stove and clicked off the burner as she continued, "You go simmer down over there, and I'll order us a pizza for dinner."

"I'm fine." He insisted as he lingered in the kitchen, rubbing his finger tips together, a tick that indicated he was anything but.

Felicity placed a hand on her hip and gave him a dry look as she replied, "The kitchen-ware begs to differ."  Oliver tried to respond but before he could, she went on.  "Plus, I'd like to eat a solid meal for supper, and, at the rate you are going, the potatoes aren't the only food that's gonna be mashed."

They weren't even having potatoes for dinner, but he got her point... he needed to relax.  And so, instead of arguing, Oliver let out a frustrated sigh and nodded.

Smiling triumphantly, Felicity went back to her computer to put in an online order for pizza.  Oliver followed her out of the kitchen, sat next to her at the head of the table, and took a few deep breaths.  Still feeling irritated, he let his fingers tap a frantic beat on the glass table top.

Felicity ignored the tapping until she completed the food order, then placed her hand on top of his, making the movement cease.  Locking eyes with Oliver, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and said, "This isn't your fault, Oliver."

"He was right under my nose the whole time, Felicity." He told her angrily.  "I should have seen it sooner."

"There's no way you could have known who he really was, there's no way any of us could have."  She tried to convince him.

Oliver was trying (and failing miserably) at not letting his emotions get the better of him when a thought entered his mind.

“How are you so calm about this?” He asked suddenly.  “You finally have the name of the man who killed Billy, and it’s like you’re not even fazed.”

“Oh, trust me.  I am _definitely_ fazed.  Fazed, crazed, and straight up pissed off.” Felicity informed him.  “I’m just choosing not to dwell on those emotions… and you should too.”

Oliver let out a frustrated sigh.  “I-I can’t just turn off how I feel… at least I’ve never been able to before.”

Felicity locked eyes with Oliver and let his words sink in for a moment.  She sensed a heaviness to them, a heaviness that weighed much more than the Prometheus problem.  However, Felicity wasn’t ready to explore the total depths of his statement.  It wasn’t the time or the place.  So, she decided it was best to stay focused on the issue at hand and not let any other hidden meanings divert her attention.

“Well…uh…” Felicity’s speech faltered as she pulled her hand away and tried to muster up a decent response.  “Don’t think of it as turning _off_ your feelings.  Think of it more like turning _down_ your feelings.”

“Right… And how do I do _that_ exactly?” Oliver asked just as puzzled as before.

“For starters, you’ve gotta find your own way to let out whatever emotions you may be feeling.  It should be something private and stress relieving, something like beating the crap out of your punching bag or having a good cry.  That way, when the emotions get stirred up again, there is less for you to confront.”

“That makes sense.  The less demons I have to battle, the more control I’ll have.”  Oliver agreed.

“Which leads me to part two of the process: control.” Felicity stated emphatically.  “You have try to control yourself, Oliver.  Play it cool in front of those you can’t completely trust, especially Chase.”

“I’m trying to, I really am.”  He promised.  “He just gets under my skin...”

“Well, don’t let him.” She tossed back.  “Because that’s exactly the kind of thing that gives a psycho like Adrian Chase power.  He gets off on seeing you get all worked up.  It makes him feel like he’s winning and spurs him on in his evil quest.  So, the next time you face off with him and feel emotions bubbling under the surface, take a deep breath and calm down.  Maintain control.  Don’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s getting to you.”

Before he could respond, a single beep camp from Felicity's computer, causing her to hit a few buttons then say, "Be right back."

While she was darting down the hall, Oliver took advantage of the break in conversation and began to think.  Running his fingers through his hair, he considered her advice.  What she was saying made sense, but could it really be that simple?  More importantly, could he truly control himself the next time Chase showed up?  What if he couldn’t?  What if he just made things worse?

As his pulse began to race faster with each thought, his free hand began tapping anxiously once more without him even realizing it. 

A few seconds later, Felicity was back with her power-chord in hand.  Once she had her laptop plugged in to charge, she glanced his way worriedly and questioned, "You okay, Oliver?"

After a second, he realized what he was doing and said simply, “I think now is one of those times that I should go relieve some stress.”

“Do you want any help?”  Felicity offered innocently.  Oliver just stared at her, not knowing how to respond.  During his moment of hesitation, she realized what her offer sounded like and rushed to add, “Oh my god, that- that is not what I meant.  I didn’t mean it in _that_ way.  You know, a _sexual_ way.  Not that sex isn’t a great stress reliever because it is.  There are actually studies to prove it.  I read one last year that—

“Felicity.” Oliver interjected, saying her name slowly yet forcefully, enunciating each syllable distinctly as they left his lips.

“Hmm?”  Felicity questioned, nervously tucking some hair behind her ear as she willed the pink out of her cheeks.

“I’m gonna go for a bike ride… privately.”  He told her explicitly.

“Bike ride. Good idea.  Have fun with that." She rambled, wanting the conversation to end already.

Oliver gave a curt nod and rose from his seat, making his way to the door.  He grabbed his jacket and placed his hand on the door knob, but instead of turning it to open the door, he looked back at Felicity and called out her name.  This time his tone came out much sweeter.

"Yeah?" She called back, twisting in her chair to face him.

"Thanks."  He smiled softly.

"Anytime." Felicity returned the smile then, after a lingering glance, went back to her devices.

Oliver stared  after her a moment longer, then, with a deep breath, he headed out to embrace the crisp evening air, hoping a long motorcycle ride would do the trick and help him compose himself.  He still wasn’t entirely convinced that Felicity’s tips would work on him, but what other options did he really have?  And besides, what harm could it really do?

*******

After Oliver left, Felicity got back to work, losing herself in her tech as per usual.  About ten minutes later, the front door opened, revealing a tired looking Thea dressed in jeans, sleek Nike tennis shoes, and a black and red Big Belly Burger t-shirt.  Thea greeted her best friend as she hung her purse on the coat rack next to the door. 

Following suit with her leather jacket, she called out.  “Any more news on Promethe-ass-hole?”  She quipped hopefully, referring to the Adrian Chase debacle.  Thea wasn’t on Team Arrow anymore, but she had loved ones that still were, not to mention she used to work with the guy, thus the news of his betrayal hit her just as hard as it did everyone else.

“Unfortunately no.” Felicity informed her.  “But it’s definitely not for a lack of trying.”

Thea nodded as she made her way to the dining area and glanced briefly at the video frames and data splayed across the screen of her roommate’s computer.  “What exactly _are_ you trying to do?”  She questioned, walking away from Felicity into the nearby kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

“I’m hacking and scanning through footage from all possible cameras I can think of that may be hiding throughout Star City.  If I can get even a half-decent picture of Chase without his mask, we’ll finally have the proof we need to fry his ass.”

Taking a long drink of water, Thea listened to her friend’s explanation.  Once she swallowed, she moseyed back to the table, stifling a laugh as she did so and replied, “I’m pretty sure the electric chair is retired these days.”

“Well, then… maybe Oliver will at least let me zap Adrian with a Taser before we hand him over to the police.” Felicity retorted dryly, only half-joking.

Plopping down in the seat Oliver abandoned not too long ago, Thea smirked and said, “Let’s focus on catching the S.O.B. first, then we can figure out the rest later.”

“Fine.” Felicity agreed reluctantly, while Thea took another drag of water.  “It shouldn’t be long anyway.”

Twisting the cap back onto the bottle once again, Thea’s tone turned more serious as she responded, “Not to burst your bubble or anything, but Chase has been ten steps ahead of Team Arrow from the beginning.  Do you really think he is gonna be stupid enough to take off his mask in public?”

“Stupid? No.” Felicity answered knowingly.  “Cocky?  Oh, yeah.”

“What do you mean?” Thea wondered aloud.

Felicity launch into a mini-rant, explaining herself as best she could.

“When Oliver confronted him the other day in the conference room, Chase was completely unfazed and didn’t miss a beat… and that was in a room full of people watching him dead on.  Anybody else would have squirmed a bit or at least been caught off guard, but not Chase.  It’s like he knew it was coming, or more likely, that it didn’t matter… because, in his mind, he thinks he has already won and that there is nothing we can do to stop him.”

“Now, _I_ wanna Taser him.” Thea mumbled.

“Anyway,” Felicity went on, ignoring her remark.  “My point is that anyone who is _that_ sure of themselves is gonna be more than willing to take a few chances just to prove how invincible they think they are.”

“Chances like removing their mask when they don’t need to?” Thea queried

“Exactly.”  Felicity smiled.

“So, what you’re saying is Chase is bound to slip up.” Thea clarified.

Felicity nodded, “And when he does, I’m gonna catch him in the act.”

“Well, let’s hope he messes up sooner rather than later because I---“Before Thea could finish a loud gurgling sound interrupted her thought.

“Am hungry?”  Felicity finished, stating the obvious, looking amusedly from her face to her noisy stomach and back.  “No worries.  The pizza I ordered should be here soon.  Unless you plan on going to Rene’s for dinner… and or a little dessert?”  She questioned teasingly with a wag of her brow.

Rolling her eyes, Thea replied, “Not tonight.  He’s supposed to meet up with Quentin to prep for court tomorrow, and I don’t want to be a distraction.”

Felicity shot straight up in her chair and said, “With all this Chase stuff going on, I completely forgot that was tomorrow.”

“Yeah, usually these things take more time, but Quentin was able to pull a few strings.”  Thea informed her.

“So, if all goes well tomorrow, which I’m sure it will…” Felicity stated confidently.  “Does that mean he gets to bring Zoe home?”

“If we’re lucky then yes,” Thea answered.  “but, in my experience, the court system has a tendency to draw things out, so… we’ll see.”

Felicity nodded her understanding, then asked, “Are you gonna go with him?  Tomorrow, I mean.”

“Of course.  Why wouldn’t I?” Thea inquired as she furrowed her brow.

“It’s just, you don’t exactly have the best memories with the court house.  With your DUI, Oliver’s lifestyle choices- pre and post island, and your mother being…well… your mother, you have spent a lot time there… I can’t imagine going back is going to be easy.”

“It’s not,” Thea admitted.  “but this isn’t about me.  It’s about Rene, and if he is gonna fight for his daughter, then I need to be there and support him.  That’s what you do when you love someone.”

“Love?” Felicity quirked a brow.

Thea smiled sheepishly as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.  “Yeah…we haven’t exactly said the words out loud yet, but I feel them… and I’m pretty sure he does too.”

“ _Thea_ …” She all but squealed in delight as she placed a hand on her roommate’s forearm that lay on the table and gave it a tender squeeze. “That’s great, _really_ great.  You guys deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks,” Thea responded, practically beaming as the word left her mouth.  “but we still have a long road ahead of us.”

“True… nevertheless I have a feeling it’s not going to be too bumpy.”  Felicity assured her.  “Just promise me you won’t wait too long to tell Rene how you really feel.”

“I could say the same about you and Ollie.” Thea tossed back as she crossed her arms over her chest, effectively turning the tables on her friend.

“ _Thea_ …” She said again as she leaned against her chair back, this time in a soft, exhausted tone like she was tired of the conversation even though they hadn’t had it yet.  “I know Oliver and I have grown a lot closer since I moved in with you guys, but it doesn’t mean we are going to get back together.”

“Do you love him?”  Thea asked suddenly.

“Excuse me?” Felicity replied, caught off-guard by her friend’s inquiry.

“It’s a simple question.” Retorted Thea.

Felicity snorted.  “I think we both know that’s not even remotely true.”

“I think you do.”  Thea ignored her and went on.  “I can see it in all the loving smiles, longing looks, and lingering touches that you share.  You love him… and he loves you.”

“Even if you’re right, which I am not saying you are, it doesn’t change the fact that Billy’s only been gone a little over two months.  Ergo… It’s too soon to start dating again.”  Felicity explained.

“Says who?”  Thea wanted to know, but, instead of waiting for an answer, she kept talking.  “Look, everyone handles grief in a different way.  Some people cry, some deflect using humor, and some just like to sit in a corner brooding and blaming themselves.”  She paused a moment to cough Oliver’s name, then continued.  “What I’m trying to say is, there is no one, right way to deal with it.  There is no rule book to tell you what to do and when.  You’ve just gotta do what feels right and eventually let yourself move on.”

“Easier said than done.” Felicity griped.

“Tell me about it.”  Thea agreed.  “But you know you have a whole family behind you to lean on, including a badass, younger sister.” She teased as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

“I know.” Felicity smiled at the sentiment. 

“Good.”  Thea said with a curt nod.

A long moment of comfortable silence stretched between the two until an urgent, high-pitched beeping sounded on Felicity’s computer. Felicity’s hands flew to her keyboard and after a few taps and clicks, a pristine video clip was pulled up on the screen.  She turned her laptop toward Thea, and they watched together as Prometheus crept from the shadows of an old, abandoned warehouse and removed his mask, revealing the face of his true self without a care in the world just like Felicity said he would.

“You did it.” Thea said, gripping her shoulder in excitement.

“We got him, we finally got him.” Felicity replied in awe.

“YES!” They squealed in unison, high-fiving their success.

Overcome with pride, Felicity rapidly slid her chair backward and stood up.  Before she could think about what she was doing, she pointed to her screen and threw her hands in the air as she screamed, “BOOM! SUCK IT, CHASE!”

Thea laughed as she stood, then asked, “So, what now?  What is the next step?”

“Team meeting.  ASAP.” Felicity told her.  “That way we can decide together what to do with it.”

“Good idea.” Thea approved.

Felicity grabbed her cell, but it refused to light up.  Out of annoyance, she spat, “Frack! My phone is dead.”

“Calm down.  We can fix this.”  Thea told her soothingly.  “How about I send out the mass-text, while you go make yourself a bit more…um… presentable.”

Felicity immediately looked down at her outfit, yoga pants and a Backstreet Boys t-shirt, then back at Thea and nodded, “Right.  Thanks.”

Thea shook her head amusedly as she watched her roommate speed down the hall like a poor man’s Barry Allen without another word.

“Okay…”  Thea turned around and spoke to the empty room.  “Now what did I do with my phone?”

When it wasn’t in her purse, Thea spent the next few minutes searching the communal living area.  Once she rummaged through the living space and the dining space, she headed for the kitchen.  Halfway there, she was halted by a knock on the door.

“ _Finally_ … I’m starved!” Thea said out loud to herself as she turned around and headed for the door.  The phone could wait, it was time to greet the pizza man and grab some grub.

*******

Once in her room, Felicity headed straight for her closet.  She pulled out one of her more casual dresses, a dark pink cotton number, and quickly slipped it on, leaving her other clothes strewn across the floor.  Next, she popped on her glasses, stepped into her panda bear flats, and tossed her hair up into a ponytail.  Deciding not to worry about make-up, she went back to her closet for the finishing touch: a black sweater.  After a moment of looking, she noticed the sleeve dangling from the top shelf above the hangers.  Giving it a hard yank, she pulled it to freedom but not before causing a small avalanche of random items, including a certain special box.

Felicity immediately bent down and righted the box.  It was her Olicity box, the one that held all her memories of her relationship with Oliver.  One by one, she picked up the items that had fallen out and placed them back inside.  There were post-cards and pictures from their travels, tickets from movies and other events they had gone to, _the_ red pen, a sweet note he had left for her one morning in their house in suburbia, among a few other things.  The last item she put back was the newspaper clipping of her engagement that her mom had had cut out and laminated.  With the photograph in one hand and the box in the other, she moved to sit down on the edge of her bed.  Placing the box next to her, she held the clipping with both hands and stared at it.  She couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Oliver down on one knee at the tree lighting ceremony, declaring his love for her in front of everybody.  It was a dream.

Unfortunately, like all dreams, it had come to an end… a bitter, heartbreaking end.

With that thought, she stuffed it back into the box and tossed the whole thing into her wastebasket that she had moved next to her bedside table.  She stood there for a couple of seconds before sighing and digging the box back out of the trash and sitting back on her bed.  Staring at the box on her lap, Felicity groaned in irritation.

Why couldn’t she throw the damn thing away?

Glancing upward, she caught a glimpse of the photo on her side table.  It was a selfie she took with Billy. They were both smiling brightly with their faces pressed together like any normal couple photo.  It was the only keepsake she had to remember him by.

Instantly, Felicity felt like crap.  She had a whole box full of Oliver, but just one measly picture of Billy?  How was that possible?  Thinking back on her recent relationship, she remembered Billy taking her to a baseball game and a couple movies, she just never thought to hold on to the tickets.  She never thought to hold on to anything from their dates. 

But why not?

Suddenly, Thea’s words from earlier echoed in her mind, and it clicked.  The box… she could never throw the box away because that meant she had to let go of their memories together and letting go of the memories meant letting go of their relationship and letting go of their relationship meant letting go of _him_ … something Felicity just couldn’t do, something she didn’t _want_ to do… because she loved him.  No, because she was _in_ love with him.

So, where did that leave Billy?

She knew she loved him, but not in the same way she loved Oliver.  Her keepsakes (or lack of them) proved that well enough.  What she and Oliver had ran deep, but with Billy it was only on the surface.  Not that their relationship was material… because it wasn’t.  They just didn’t talk deeply about the important things.  They had fun.  Plain and simple.

However, Felicity knew now more than ever that the deep talks really do tell all.  When you have deep talks, you learn not only _what_ matters but _who_.  You can find out who your real sister is or who your heart really belongs to.  All you have to do is look at who you are talking to, _really look_ … then _listen_.

A wave of emotions washed over Felicity with this realization, causing her smile and shed a tear synonymously.  Wiping it away, she stood up and put her box back into her closet where it belongs.  Then she grabbed the small shoe box her flats had been in, grabbed the photo of her and Billy, and stared at it once more.  With a small smile, she whispered, “I really did love you, Billy.  I still do.  I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more.”

Felicity let a few more tears fall as she placed the frame inside the box, lidded it, and scrawled the name “Billicity” on the side in sharpie.  Putting it next to the other box in her closet, she smiled a genuinely happy smile because now that she made peace with her feelings, she truly was happy.

CRASH!

The sound of glass breaking jarred Felicity back to the present.  Hastily wiping away her tears away, Felicity yelled, “Thea, is everything okay out there?”

Hearing no immediate response, she grew a little concerned.  Tossing her sweater as fast as she could, Felicity headed out to see what caused the noise as well as the uneasy feeling that just formed in her stomach.  Opening her door, she found a tall, dark figure in her way.  That was all Felicity's brain had time to register before she felt a sharp pain and succumbed to darkness.


	11. Choosing Wisely

Oliver was gone for a good twenty minutes, riding his motorcycle aimlessly down the streets of Star City.  He was on route back to his place now, feeling much more relaxed.  The sound of the motor reverberating through him helped relieve the tension in his spine and his sole focus on the road helped to clear his head.  Needless to say, the ride was very therapeutic.

As an added bonus, Oliver was happy to see his bike was cooperating again.  He hadn’t been riding it much these last few months, but when he did, he noticed it would run out of gas more quickly than it used to.  He mentioned it to Thea once, asking if she had ridden it at all, but she had given him a simple “nope” and then quickly changed the subject.  He didn’t think much of it at the time, however, now that he thought back on it, her response was a bit odd.  Deciding it didn’t matter much now because the bike seemed fine once more, Oliver shrugged off his concerns.  After all, his bike was the least of his worries right now.

Adrian Chase.  That was his main worry.  He was also distressed about Felicity.  After everything that had happened between them, he had finally started to let himself believe that she was better off with someone else, that their break-up was for the best. But after their talk this evening, he realized that he not only wanted her back, he _needed_ her.  Without her, he would be lost in himself and consumed by his inner-demons.  He need the light of his life to combat the dark, he needed Felicity.

Feeling an ache in his chest, Oliver told himself to quit thinking and enjoy the rest of the ride.  And he did, speeding up even more so and popping a wheelie to distract himself.  After a couple minutes, he found himself pulling into the apartment garage and putting his motorcycle in park.  Taking off his helmet, Oliver sat there a moment and took a deep breath.

It was amazing how much better he felt after blowing off some steam.  Felicity was right.  He need to find a way to reduce his stress level and rid himself of his excess emotions before they took him over completely.  A good bike ride was definitely a good start.

Getting up from the bike, he placed his helmet on the nearest handle bar and headed for the elevator.  On the way up, he removed his phone from his jacket pocket and checked the time.  While he did so, he noted that he had five missed calls from an unknown number.  There were no voicemail messages though, so he figured it was some kind of glitch or something and re-pocketed his cell.  Once on his floor, Oliver casually walked down the hallway to the apartment door with hands at his sides.  When he was a few strides away, he saw the door was slightly ajar and his heart stopped.  Cautiously, he took a few more steps forward and peered through the crack.  Not seeing or hearing an immediate threat, he pushed the door open wide.

Taking in the view in front of him, Oliver’s heart began to move again in full-force.  The coat rack that stood near the door was laying across the floor in front of him with its jackets and purses it once held now strewn about.  There was also a broken chair.  However, what really got Oliver worked up was the blood dancing around it all.  It wasn’t a lot of blood, but enough to make him anxious.

After taking no more than two seconds to digest the scene, he called out worriedly, “Thea?  Felicity?”

Not waiting for a response, he darted down the hall to check out the rest of the apartment.  Unfortunately, all the rooms were empty.  Oliver re-entered the living room area in a panic and before he could do anything else his phone began to ring.  He dug it out of his pocket again and checked the caller id.

It was the same unknown number from before.

Hitting the answer button, Oliver spat, “WHERE ARE THEY?”

“Finally.” Chase’s voice said casually, almost like he was amused.  “For a minute there, I thought you were screening my calls.”

“WHERE. ARE. THEY.”  He said each word slowly but with as much venom in his voice as before.

“Relax, Oliver, they’re fine… for now.” Chase told him.

“If you hurt them—

“Oh, I’m not going to hurt _them_.”  Chase interrupted.  “I’m just going to hurt _her_.”

Oliver was trying his best to keep the rage at bay, but that last comment was like a punch to the gut, spurring on the fury inside him.  Before he could respond, Chase went on.

“Which ‘her’ am I referring to?  I’m so glad you asked.  _That_ will be up to _you_ to decide.”

“What are you talking about?” Oliver questioned angrily.

“I have Thea and Felicity strategically placed in two different locations.” Chase started to explain.  “Shortly, I will send you a text message with the addresses inside.  As soon as you receive the message you will have twenty minutes to reach them. ”

“Or what?” Oliver inquired as he paced the room, already knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer one bit.

“Or the buildings they are in will explode into a million pieces and kill them.” Chase answered.

Oliver paused his pacing, turned to punch the nearest wall, and screamed, “Why! Why are you doing this?”

“Because, Oliver, a few years ago you made the choice to kill my father, somebody _I_ loved… so now you get to make another choice and kill somebody _you_ love.”

“You son of a bi—

Chase cut off Oliver’s curse word and said, “Choose wisely.”  Then with a click, he ended the call.

At the abrupt end to their conversation, Oliver lost his temper entirely and threw his phone across the room.  Running his hands through his hair in frustration, he forced himself to take a deep breath.  Once he was somewhat calm and remembered how important his phone was right now, he retrieved it from the floor.  There was crack across the screen, but he found it was still usable as he sent out a group message, telling the team to meet him at the bunker ASAP.  Once that was done, he rushed out of the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him and promising to himself that this time he would finally take down Adrian Chase.

Once.  And.  For.  All.

******

As he entered the mayoral office building, Oliver was on edge.  No bike ride could soothe his mood this time, not while Thea’s and Felicity’s lives were in the hands of Prometheus.  Nevertheless, he managed to keep it together enough to avoid drawing attention from any workaholics or maintenance workers that may have lingered past regular office hours.

After what felt like the longest elevator ride of his life, the doors finally opened and Oliver emerged into the basement bunker more officially known as the Arrowcave.  Heading onto the large circular platform in the center of the room that housed Felicity’s main work area, he found Dig, Curtis, and Dinah were already there waiting for him.

“Where’s Rene?” Oliver asked brusquely, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary before getting down to business.

“He’s on his way.  Should be here any minute.” Their newest team member, Dinah, answered coolly.

“What’s going on, Oliver?” Diggle interjected, half curious and half worried given the giant vein popping out of Oliver’s forehead, the one he only saw when Oliver was really, _really_ upset over something.

“And by that,” Curtis added.  “he means what did that dick, Chase, do this time?”

“He’s got Thea… _and_ Felicity.” Oliver told them, not able to hold it in any longer.  Then, out of rage, he punched the nearby desk.  It was made of steel, therefore the desk hurt him more than he hurt it, but Oliver wasn’t feeling physical pain right now.  He was too distracted by the emotional kind that was currently tearing him apart.

“What?” Dinah and Curtis retorted in unison, Dinah out of shock at Chase’s boldness and Curtis out of concern for his friends.

“How did this happen?” Diggle questioned right after, his serious tone dripping with irritation.

“I went for a bike ride to clear my head and when I came back the apartment was broken into.  There was blood...”  Oliver started to explain, a pained expression on his face.

Diggle was about to remind Oliver that both Thea and Felicity are smart, capable women who can put up one hell of a fight when needed, that it was just as likely that the blood was their captor’s or one of his cronies, but he didn’t get a chance before a new voice broke into the conversation.

“ _Who’s_ blood?”  A suddenly very anxious Rene asked tersely as he exited the elevator with Quentin Lance in tow.  He only caught the last bit of the conversation and needed some clarification ASAP.  “Where’s Thea?”

Oliver hesitated, not sure how to break the news to him.  Rene and Thea had gotten so close these past few months.  Seeing them together, it was obvious how much he cared for her… but Oliver knew that if Rene’s feelings for Thea ran anywhere near as deep as his own feelings did for Felicity, then this conversation was _not_ going to go very well… and that was the _best_ case scenario.

Thankfully, Curtis spoke up at that moment and said, “Chase kidnapped her.”

“He took Felicity too.” Dinah added, so everyone was on the same page.

“Jesus Christ.” Lance spat like a swear word.  “How did he manage that?”

Oliver gave them all a quick rundown of tonight’s events as he knew them so everyone would be up to speed on their current dilemma.  He started from his attempt at making dinner and ended with a retell of how he came home to a bloody apartment.

“Are you sure he has _both_ of them?”  Rene spoke up.  “Maybe, Thea’s still at work… sometimes she takes extra shifts last minute.”  He rambled in denial as he pulled out his phone to text her, only to be reminded that she left her phone at his place the night before, and put it right back in his jean pocket in frustration.

It didn’t matter anyway because Oliver was already replying, “Chase has her.  I’m sure of it.  He called me shortly after it happened to give me instructions.”

“What kind of instructions?” Diggle queried, flexing the large muscles in his arms as he crossed them over his chest.

Oliver took a deep breath and went on to give the team the cliff notes version of his little chat with Chase, telling them all about the tight time frame, the explosives planted in the buildings, and the choice he was supposed to make.

“So, what?  He’s stealing the plot from Batman now?” Lance asked sarcastically.

“You’ve seen _The Dark Knight_?”  Curtis asked, half surprised and half excited.  “That movie was bomb!” When Oliver and Rene both shot him death glares, he hurried to add, “Sorry, poor choice of words.”

“Guys, focus.”  Dinah butted in.  “He’s not some psychotic playing card come to life, he’s just… psychotic.”

“Is there a difference?”  Dig asked seriously with just a hint of derision.

“Yes, actually,” Dinah answered.  “Chase may be a little unhinged, but he’s more than that.”

“She’s right.  He’s also smart and resourceful.” Oliver said, agreeing to the newest Canary’s assessment of Adrian.  “Everything Chase does is planned and deliberate.  Yes, he may be unbalanced, but he knows what he’s doing.  That’s how he’s managed to always be so many steps ahead.”

“So, then… what exactly is his play here?  What’s Chase hoping to accomplish?” Diggle tossed out, trying to make sense of it all.

“Revenge.” Curtis stated the obvious.  “He’s still salty about Oliver killing his dad and probably figures that the best way to get back at him is through killing someone _he_ loves.”

“But why now?” Dig probed further.  “He could have taken the girls at any time during his reign as Prometheus.  Why tonight?”

“Diggle’s right.”  Lance noted.  “In fact, Chase had much better access and opportunity back when he was still working for the mayor’s office.”

Everyone started to chime in with theories, but Oliver tuned them all out.  He didn’t want to listen anymore.  Each comment was like a stab to the gut.  His sister and his… Felicity… were both in danger, and there was nothing he could do until he got the text from Chase with the addresses.  He felt so helpless.  Fury and anguish pulsed through his body in response, popping a vein out of his forehead and turning his face red and knuckles white as he fisted his hands at his sides.  All of a sudden, a voice surfaced in his head momentarily, telling him exactly what to do, scolding him really.

**_He gets off on seeing you get all worked up… take a deep breath and calm down.  Maintain control._ **

So he did.  Oliver breathed in and out slowly for a few beats until he was somewhat calm and able to think.  Within seconds, the puzzle pieces began to click into place and he had a plan.

“ENOUGH!” Rene yelled above the group of voices bickering back and forth, throwing a desk chair across the room as he did so, partly to gain their full attention back and partly to release his anger, the latter of which was not very successful.  “Thea and Felicity are the priority here.  We need to save them.  Period.  Who gives a damn why Chase does what he does?

“We do,” Oliver said simply.  “because it’s the key to defeating him for good.” When no one had a quick reply to that, he took it as a sign to continue.  “Dig, Quentin… you were right.  If Chase really wanted to kill Thea and Felicity, they would be dead by now.  But they’re not… because this whole kidnapping isn’t what it seems.”

“What do you mean?” Curtis inquired, uncertain where he was going with this.

“On the phone, Chase said Thea and Felicity are ‘strategically placed’ in two different locations, meaning I wouldn’t be able to reach them both in time by myself.”  Oliver answered.

“But you’re not by yourself.”  Dinah noted.  “You have us.”

“Which Chase knows.”  Diggle said in understanding.

“Exactly.”  Oliver nodded.  “He knew I would use you—all of you—to save the people I care about.  He counted on it.  Well, that and me getting too caught up in my own emotions to see the big picture.”

“Which is what exactly?” Curtis wondered aloud, voicing the thought they’d all been thinking.

“That part I don’t know.” Oliver admitted.  “But Chase clearly has something big planned, or he wouldn’t have set this kidnapping tactic up to keep us busy.”

“It’s certainly one hell of a distraction.”  Lance agreed, somewhat impressed by Chase’s intricate plan.  “That’s for sure.”

“So, does this change anything for Thea and Felicity?” Dinah began.  “I mean, if they aren’t Chase’s main focus, should we assume the bombs aren’t real and that they aren’t actually in any imminent danger?”

“No.”  Oliver and Diggle said in emphatic unison.

Oliver explained himself first, saying “Bombs or no bombs, just being under Chase’s control puts them in imminent danger.  Therefore, we need to be vigilante and take all precautions when saving them.”

“It’s a good thing we are vigilantes then.”  Curtis joked lamely.

When the only response was half-amused eye rolling and dry looks, Oliver decided to ignore the comment and add, “ _Anyway_ , if we can assume the worst, it’ll help us be at our best.”

“I agree with Oliver.” Diggle confirmed.  “Besides, if Thea and Felicity really aren’t his focus that’ll just make them more expendable in Chase’s mind.”

“All right, we get it.  The girls are in danger any way you slice it.” Lance retorted dryly, getting really irritated and antsy now.  He was more a man of action than a man of words, especially when those he cared about were in danger.  “So, what are we gonna do about it?”

“I have a plan.”  Oliver said confidently, pausing to take deep breath and rein in his emotions.  It was like Felicity had told him before.  There was a time and a place to let your feelings take over, and this definitely wasn’t it.  “We are going to need to split up.  Diggle and Dinah, you two will head to Felicity’s location.  Rene and Quentin, I want you guys to go to Thea.”

Their replies were a mixture of head nods, you got its, and no problems.  Except of course from Curtis, who was yet to be given a duty.  For once, he decided not to open his big mouth and just wait for directions. So, he simply stood there quietly.

Any other time, Oliver may have prolonged giving him his task and enjoyed the silence, but right now time was of the essence.  Therefore, he quickly turned to the man in question and said, “Curtis, I want you here to man the coms and do your computer thing.  We can’t afford any surprises.  Not tonight.”

“You got it, Boss.”  Curtis answered with a mock, two-fingered salute, then headed across the room to pick up his previously discarded chair.

“The rest of you go suit up.” Oliver commanded in a somewhat friendly tone, officially but temporarily taking up the role of team leader for the mission, something he had been trying not to do anymore.  After all, he was their equal on the team now, not their superior like he may have been when he first recruited them all.  However, he just couldn’t help but take control given the stakes.  Fortunately, the gang all understood the pressure he was under, so no one was about to argue with him about his overstepping.

Without a word, all the team members obliged, heading for their uniforms that hung on mannequins along the far wall.  Although Lance didn’t have a suit himself, he didn’t dawdle.  Instead, the former police captain made his way to the armory on the wall adjacent to the mannequins and picked out an untraceable weapon or two along with some Kevlar pant covers and a vest.

As they dispersed, Oliver called out to Rene.

“Hey, Rene,” He spoke softly yet urgently as he pulled him by backward by the arm.  “How you are you holding up?”

“Just peachy.” Rene replied angrily as he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists in frustration.

Given his current state as well as the silence and ever present tick in his jaw during their team chat, Oliver figured Rene was moments from snapping.  That’s partly why he wanted to check in with him.  He knew first-hand what this kind of situation could do to someone mentally and emotionally.  In a nutshell, it could tear you apart and completely unravel you.  Needless to say, Oliver wasn’t about to let that happen, not to Rene, not to someone he considered family, especially when he was Thea’s bet shot at getting out of the current dilemma alive.  He figured a good pep talk would be just what the doctor ordered to help turn Rene’s attitude around.  After all, the sarcasm in his voice was a good sign.  If he was making jokes, then at least a part of him was still sane and untouched by anger.  Oliver would just have to appeal to it, not matter how small it was getting by the second.

“Look, I, better than anyone, know what you are going through right now, the pain you are feeling inside, but you can’t let it control you.  You need to control it.” Oliver told him.

“How?” Rene retorted, tone harsh.

“Normally, I would say you should first go beat the hell out of the training dummy.”  Oliver explained, completely serious.  “But there’s not time for that now.  So, we skip to step two.  Take deep, calming breaths and clear your mind.”

Rene quirked a brow and when Oliver crossed his arms in response, he sighed and began working on his breathing.  After a moment, he growled and spat, “UGH! THIS ISN’T WORKING!”

“Just try again.” Oliver advised, clapping him on the shoulder.  “Think about Thea.”

“I. AM.” Rene assured, growing even more irritated.

“ _No_ , you are thinking about _Chase_ and what he is _doing_ to Thea.”  Oliver clarified.  “I want you to think about _Thea_ and _only_ _Thea_.  Think about the good times… your first date, first kiss… think about your happiest moments together.

Rene tried once more, closing his eyes and doing as Oliver said.  He thought about the first time he saw Thea in the bunker and how she said he wasn’t her type, how he made a point to flirt with her every time he saw her after that, and how she liked teasing him back.  He then thought of more specific memories like sparring on the roof, taking night rides, stargazing, and all their different firsts (some Oliver mentioned, others Oliver was probably trying to avoid thinking about for his own sanity).

As Oliver’s hand lingered on Rene’s shoulder, he felt the tension start to leave his friend’s body somewhat.  Going with his instincts, Oliver continued, “Now I want you to pick one specific memory, one that sticks out to you for one reason or another, and I want you to focus on it.”

Rene nodded and let his mind wander for a minute.  As he went back through his memories of Thea, he kept coming back to one in particular.  It was the night they drove out to the edge of town and stargazed on top of that big hill.  He remembered laying next her, he remembered Thea’s fingers sliding across the grass and intertwining with his, and he remembered how perfect her hand fit inside his own.  However, what he remembered most was the feeling inside him.  He couldn’t put a word to it then, but knew it was something pure and honest and right, something only his late wife had ever made him feel… until Thea.

As Oliver watched Rene’s breathing even out and a small smile grace his lips, he knew had found the memory he needed and told him to open his eyes.  Letting go of his arm, Oliver went on to say, “I want you to hold on to that memory of you and Thea.  That way, when your emotions get to be too much, you can just take a deep breath and picture her in that moment… and it’ll remind you what exactly you are fighting for.”

“Got it.” Rene said with a curt nod. “Wait… does this mean you’re still letting me go on this mission?”

“Of course,” Oliver answered.  “I’d be a bit hypocritical if I didn’t.” He joked then added more seriously, “Besides, Thea needs you…. _I_ need you.”  Oliver was suddenly overcome with a pang of fear and sorrow.  So much so that Rene could see the emotions in his mentor’s eyes, but before he could comment, Oliver broke the short span of silence and said, “Just bring her home safe, okay?”

“I will.” Rene promised.  “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Good.”  Oliver smiled, then after a moment of hesitation added, “I’m glad she has you.  She deserves someone who will put her first.”

“Second.”  Rene amended casually and when Oliver looked at him with a look of confusion, he went on to explain.  “Zoe… Zoe is first.  Always.”

“Always.” Oliver repeated and smiled once again, both in understanding and pride.  Rene was a good guy.  He was a good person, a good father, and definitely good enough for his sister… of that he was officially certain, not that there was much doubt to begin with.  “And for the record, Zoe is lucky to have you too.”

“I’m not so sure about that, but _I_ am definitely lucky to have _her_.” Rene said timidly.  “Losing her mom was hard, but, after seeing Zoe again, I know that losing her like that or even just to foster care would be truly… it would be… I don’t even know, man… just worse.  So.  Much.  Worse.”

Oliver nodded, “Yeah, I don’t think there’s a word that could even describe the pain a parent feels when they lose their child.”

And suddenly something in Oliver’s mind clicked.  It was all beginning to make sense.

"What's wrong?" Rene asked, noticing a sudden change in his friend's demeanor.

"I think I know what Chase is planning."  Oliver told him vaguely, hoping that he was wrong.  Not ready to verbalize his thought just yet or answer any more questions, he quickly added.  "I'll explain later.  We better go get dressed."

He turned to leave, but this time Rene pulled _him_ back by _his_ arm and said, "Hold up... _we_?  You're not seriously going out there, are you?"

"I have to."  Oliver state forcefully.  "Now more than ever."

Rene looked at him uncertainly and queried, "Are you sure about this?  I mean, how can you possibly choose who to go after right now?"

"Wisely." Oliver answered simply, then headed off to gather his uniform and make one of the most important decisions of his life.


	12. And The Countdown Begins

Rene sat unmoving in the passenger seat of Lance’s car except for the drumming of his fingers on the grip of his right-side pistol.  His other hand clutched the hockey mask that sat on his lap.  He and Quentin had been waiting for 15 minutes so far for the text to come in from Chase with the girls’ locations, and every second of it was pure torture.  Oliver had been able to make Rene feel better about the whole situation with the pep talk he had given him inside, but the increase in his mood was fading faster than he liked.  Whatever peace of mind Rene may have gained was quickly coming undone.  It wouldn’t be much longer until he was back at square one.  Hopefully the intel would be delivered soon.

Lance checked his com to make sure it was working, his phone for missed messages, and the clock on his dashboard all for the umpteenth time, since they got in the vehicle.  He was antsy, and he knew it.  Patience wasn’t exactly his strong suit, which is why he never did like going on stake outs as a cop.  That and because it was boring.  This, however, was anything but boring.  It was terrifying and worrisome.  The two girls he had gotten know and grown to love like his own were in danger, and there was nothing he could do about it… _yet_.  Not soon enough, there would be though, and, while Diggle and Dinah took care of Felicity, he’d do his job and bring Thea home safe and sound.  Of that, he was sure.  Yes, at the end of the day, the girls would be fine.  A feeling in his gut told him so.

Taking a deep breath, Lance peered over at his partner who appeared to be more stressed out than he was. He noticed a tick in Rene’s jaw as well as a whiteness on his knuckles from squeezing the life out of his mask.  Combine that with the annoying tapping noise he heard, and it was obvious the boy was on edge.  It was also obvious why.

“Thea’s going to be okay.” Lance assured his friend with a semi-awkward, consoling pat on the shoulder

“You don’t know that.” Rene tossed back gruffly, still staring out the window.

“Yes, I do.”  Lance retorted.

“Oh, yeah?” Rene inquired, finally looking his way.  “How?”

“I can feel it… in here.” Lance said, pointing to his stomach.  “and my gut is never wrong.”

Rene looked at him skeptically and replied, “Well, all my gut feels is nauseous.”

Lance smirked and nodded, “That sounds about right for young love.”

Rene just rolled his eyes and turned back to his window to stare into the night as the darkness hastily took over the city, awakening the streetlamps that dotted the roadsides and intersections from a long day’s slumber.

It was quiet for a moment as Quentin attempted doing the same, but eventually he found himself speaking again and asking Rene, “Have you told her?”

“Told _who_ what?” Rene queried with a furrowed brow as he gave his partner an irritated look.

“Thea.”  Lance specified.  “Have you told her you’re in love with her?”

“Sort of.” Rene shrugged, focusing on polishing his hockey mask with his sleeve.

“So, that means no.” Lance gathered astutely.

“That _means_ it’s none of your damn business.” Rene told him, face serious, but his voice had an air of humor to it.  Not much in a joking mood though or willing to reveal any more about his feelings for Thea, he promptly began to distract himself by rechecking his handguns, making sure they were locked, loaded, and ready to go.

Rene got through one weapon and had just begun inspecting the other when he heard Lance sigh and say, “So, are you nervous about Zoe meeting Thea?”

“I- I don’t know.”  Rene stammered, caught off guard by the question.  “I haven’t really given it much thought." 

“Well, it’s okay if you are." Lance assured him.  "It’s only natural.  If you want my advice—

“I don’t, okay?!” Rene snapped.  “I _don’t_ want your advice, and I _don’t_ want to talk about Thea.  So, just drop it!”

"All right, all right." Lance relented. "Consider it dropped."

Rene sighed, immediately feeling bad about his outburst.  Quentin was just trying to be a friend.  He didn't deserve his head bitten off.  Staring sheepishly at the gun in his hands, Rene said, "Look, I'm sorry.  I just... I can't do it."  He paused to meet Lance's eyes once more then continued.  "I can't sit here and talk about Thea like everything's okay... like _she's_ okay... when I know she's anything but."

"I get it." Lance told him.  "You see, the thing is... I can't take the silence.  When it's silent, my brain gets to thinking about the same thing, about how the two girls that I have gotten to know and care for as my own over the past few years are in danger.  I think about how Thea got me into rehab and gave me a job when I needed it but didn't deserve it.  I think about how Felicity was there for my daughters when I couldn't be and how she allowed me to date her mother and helped me be a better man for her.  But mostly, I think about how helpless I am in _their_ time of need.  I hate it."

Rene was speechless for a moment as he watched Lance punch the steering wheel out of anger.  He felt like an ass.  How could he forget that he wasn't the only one in pain here?  Thea's and Felicity's lives touched everyone on the team, one way or another, and naturally the possibility of their deaths would too.  After coming to this realization, Rene wanted to make Lance feel better.  So, he considered everything his friend had just told him thoughtfully, only to come back with one particular thought.

"You dated Felicity's mom?" He inquired, quirking a brow.

"Really?"  Lance asked in disbelief.  "That's what you got from that whole big spiel I just gave you?"

Rene smirked, "Well, now I know it must be true because just the mention of her is making you speak Yiddish."

“Ha. Ha.  Very funny.” Lance drew out sarcastically.  Fighting a smile, he got more serious as he asked, “I take it we’re okay then?”

“I don’t know, are you done talking schmaltzy?” Rene queried teasingly.

 “I don’t know, are you done being a schmuck?” Lance replied, mimicking his friend’s tone. 

“Relax, man.” Rene retorted, his smirking transforming into a cheeky grin.  “No need to plotz.  I’m done with my shtick.”

Lance just rolled his before asking once more, “So… we’re good?”

Rene laughed, clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Yeah, Hoss.  We’re kosher.”

Lance offered a small smile, glad Rene seemed to be acting more like himself again.  Okay, maybe he wasn’t so glad about _that_ fact as much as he was that Rene wasn’t mad at him.  The truth was, as irritating as his friend could be at times, he was also honest and loyal and caring and an all-around good person, a person Lance didn’t want to lose.  After all, he had already lost enough.

Before either of them could say anything more, Curtis’s voice rang out over the coms.

“The text just came in.”  He informed them all.  “It looks like Thea is being held in The Glades at an old factory turned abandoned club called Verdant.”

“Of course she is.” Lance finished, turning on the car as he muttered, “ _Prick_.”

“Excuse me?” Curtis said, feeling a mixture of surprised and insulted.

“Not you.” Lance said as he put the car in gear.

“Don’t mind him, Mr. T.” Rene chimed in amusedly.  “We’re on it and on our way.”

“Good.” Curtis mentioned, then went on about Felicity’s location to Diggle and Dinah.

Once everyone was on the move, Curtis continued to speak.  “Be careful you guys… and hurry.  Chase wasn’t lying about the timer.  It just came in.  You have twenty minutes.”

With that, Rene holstered his weapons and put on his game face as Lance peeled out of the parking lot and sped down the road as fast as his car could go.

*******

Thea’s location was closer to the bunker, so Quentin and Rene got to their destination first.  It only took them about five minutes with Lance’s lead foot.  It also helped that he knew a shortcut without stop lights and ignored all stop signs that they came to.

“All right, Curtis.” Lance spoke up as he turned the car off.  “What can you tell us?”

“Unfortunately, not much.”  Curtis told him, regrettably.  “Due to surrounding traffic cams, I can say with confidence that there are no guards patrolling outside of the building.  However, the inside video surveillance has either been damaged or taken offline.  So, I can tell you anything about Thea or whether or not she’s being guarded.”

“Great.” Lance griped.”

Rene began put his mask on the top of his head and opened the passenger side door when Lance looked at him quizzically, pulled him back by the arm and questioned,  “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Rene asked.

“You can just go rushing in.” Lance scolded.  “We don’t know what we’re up against in there.  We need a plan.”

Rene was ready to argue, but Curtis’s twelve minute warning reminded him it wasn’t the time, so instead he replied quickly saying, “Yeah… good luck with that.” Then pulled his mask down over his face, exited the vehicle, and ran toward the nearest entrance of Verdant.

“Damn it.” Lance cursed at his partner’s impatience and dashed out after him.

Once Quentin caught up, they stealthily entered the front and found no guards lying in wait.  Feeling a little better about the situation, they swiftly moved forward into the main room and made their way passed a large mess once known as the main bar area.  They still didn’t find any guards.  However, what they did find made both men’s guts sour and their already rapidly beating hearts race faster. 

In the center of the dancefloor under a tattered disco ball was a giant circle of C4 explosives.  Lance didn’t know how much was there exactly but surmised there was enough to do a solid amount of damage.  At least from what he could tell, all the bombs were linked to one detonator.  Unfortunately, that detonator was Thea.

“My god.” Lance spoke in a soft, horrified tone as he processed what he was seeing.  Thea was in the center of the circle, tied to a chair with her arms behind her back.  Over her top was a thick vest packed with more bars of C4 that displayed a small timer.  According to it, they had only 12 minutes left to stop the bomb and save her.

“Thea!” Rene called out to her as he ran over, Lance trailing behind.  She was bruised and looked tired.  Her forehead was drenched with sweat, causing strands of hair to stick to her face.

“Rene, Quentin… thank god!” She yelled.  “Chase… he ambushed me at the apartment and brought me here… wait where’s Lis?”

“Hey, It’s okay.  Calm down.” Rene cooed, cupping her face in his hands as he soothing stroked her cheek with his thumb, wiping a loose tear that escaped.  Sliding his hands down to her shoulders, he stroked her arms as he continued, “We’ll explain everything later.  Right now we gotta get you outta here.”

She nodded, took a breath, and said, “What do we do?”

Rene looked to Lance who told him, “I’ll patch in Curtis and see if he can help with the vest.”

“And I’ll take care of these ropes.”  Rene added, then got to work.  If there was anything he learned being a Navy SEAL, it was to always be prepared.  That’s why Rene constantly carried around a pocket knife.  Pulling it out of his pocket, he went behind Thea to saw through the rope that bound her hands, then did the same to the ones that tied her ankles to the chair legs.

Thea moved rolled her wrists out and moved to stand, but Rene stopped her.

“Don’t move.  We don’t want to accidentally trigger anything.” He explained.

“Right.”  Thea nodded.  “Good call.”

“Turn on your com.” Lance interrupted then.

He obliged and waited for Curtis to speak.

“All right guys, I looked up a vest like the one you described.  It’s nothing too complicated.  All you have to do is cut the red wire.”  Curtis instructed.

Both men crouched to look at the bomb more closely.  There were three wires: a red, a yellow, and a blue.  It all appeared easy enough.

“I got this.” Rene told him, wielding his pocket knife for the second time.

“No, I do.” Lance told him.  “If something goes wrong, better me in the way than you.  _I_ don’t have a lot left to live for.  _You_ still have your daughter.”

Rene hesitated for second as Thea grabbed his free hand and said, “He’s right.  Zoe needs you.  Don’t be stupid, Rene.”

As much as he hated it, he knew they were right, so he handed over the knife and said, “Fine, but I’m not leaving.  I’ll be back here.”  He gestured over his shoulder as he gave her hand a tender squeeze.  Then, very reluctantly, he jogged over and hid behind the large bar area they had passed by before.

“You ready for this?” Lance queried.

“As ready as I’m ever gonna be.” Thea retorted as she tried to calm her erratically beating heart.

“You’re gonna be okay, kiddo.  Everything will be okay.”  He added, but Thea wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince more… her or himself.

She just nodded and together they took a deep breath.

“On three…” Lance told her.  “One…”

“Two…” Thea counted off next.

Instead of saying three, Quentin went for it and snipped the red wire.  Their eyes went to the timer that had just hit the ten minute mark as they watched it freeze in place then blink off a moment later.

Both sighed loudly in relief.  It was over.  Lance held back a few happy tears and tried to calm himself as he helped Thea out of her vest. 

“You can come back, Rene.” He shouted across the room.  Lance had it unzipped a few inches when the timer suddenly blinked to life.  Only this time it was at one minute and counting.  “Son of a bitch.  Curtis, you said red right?”

“Yeah, why?” Curtis asked.

“Because it didn’t work.” Lance said, moving to stand.  “I was unzipping the vest and the timer came back online…” He started to explain.

“Say what now?” Rene asked incredulously, then looked to Thea who was in tears and went to her aide.  Quentin moved back to give them a moment as he conferred with Curtis.

“I don’t wanna die.” She whispered.

“That’s not gonna happen.  You hear me?” Rene said pushing some hair behind her ear.  He was about to kiss her when Quentin came back and interrupted.

“Okay, according to Terrific, this is some sort of twisted fail-safe that Chase designed to make sure the bomb went off.” Lance informed them.

“How do we stop it?” Rene questioned instantly.

“That’s the tricky part.  Cutting one of the other two wires should do the trick, but there is no way of knowing which one.” Lance confessed.

“Then you’re gonna have to make one hell of a guess.” Thea told Quentin.

“Thea, we can’t just guess.” Rene told her emphatically.

“I’m with Rene on this one.” Lance agreed.  “If we choose wrong, it could end up killing you.”

“Look, guys, I know it’s not ideal, but in about forty-five seconds, this bomb is going to go off and kill me anyway.  Guessing is our best chance.”  Thea reasoned.

Grudgingly both men nodded their agreement.  After all, what other options did they have?

“All right, then.” She replied, pulling away from her boyfriend’s embrace.   “Rene, go back where you were before.   Quentin do your thing.”

“Wait,” Rene said, pulling her back toward him promptly but carefully and placing his mouth roughly on hers, kissing her deeply.  His one hand moved to the back of her neck for more control.  Meanwhile, the other moved cautiously to her vest… and yanked both wires.

“Rene!” Quentin yelled, jarring the couple apart.

“What the…” Thea began, looking from Quentin to Rene to the wires in his hand to the timer on her torso.  It was frozen at ten seconds… and everything and everyone was still intact.  She was still alive.  She hastily shrugged out of the horrid vest once and for all and threw herself into Rene‘s arms.

He hugged her tightly, feeling relieved and unbelievably happy.  Happy that it was over, that Thea was safe, and that his plan had actually worked.  He felt her start to pull back a bit, so he loosened his hold.  Expecting a kiss, he began to pucker his lips and moved his head toward hers, but instead of feeling her lips, he felt her fist punch him in the shoulder.  _Hard_.

“Ow!” He whined, ignoring Quentin’s laughter from somewhere behind them.  “What was that for?”

“I said _don’t_ be stupid, Rene.”  Thea chastised.  “How could you do that?  You could have died!  Where would that have left Zoe then! What would—

Rene cut her off abruptly with a long, passionate kiss.  Forgetting her anger and her train of thought, she let her arms rap around his neck as she embracing his closeness and the safety and comfort of his arms around her.  She wasn’t sure she was ever gonna feel it again and now that she was, she wasn’t going to let it go to waste.

Eventually, they managed to separate and leaned their foreheads against each other while they caught their breath.  After a few seconds, Rene whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Smiling, Thea whispered back, “No, you’re not.”

“You’re right, I’m not.” He relented before kissing her yet again.  She was right.  He wasn’t sorry.  Selfish maybe but not sorry.  He just wanted to save Thea so bad.  As for Zoe, he loved her to the moon and back, but he also knew that if something happened to him, she would be safe in her foster home with the nice, caring couple that were probably way better parents than he ever was.  So, in a way, he didn’t see the harm in taking the risk that he did.  Besides, as a former member of the military, he’s trained to put his life on the line and put civilians first.  Not matter what.  Therefore, that is exactly what he did.

“All right, love birds, break it up.”  Quentin teased.  “I just called SCPD and left an anonymous tip about the bombs. They’ll be here soon.  We need to move out.”

The couple finally manage to completely separate and make their way toward the exit.  Lance walked with them, falling in line next to Thea.  It was silent as they walked until Quentin spoke up.

“Thea…” He began.

“Yeah?” She queried, looking over at him.

“I’m really glad you’re okay.” Lance told her.

“Thanks to you.” She smiled.

“Yeah, well, I‘ve already lost two daughters.  I wasn’t about to lose another.”  Lance said matter-of-factly.

Thea stopped in her tracks and grabbed Quentin’s arm so he would stop too.  Once they were both halted, Thea hugged him.  A bit surprised, Lance didn’t move right away, but after a moment he gratefully returned the embrace, wrapping one arm around her back while cupping the back of her head with his other hand in a purely parental type of way.

“I love you too, Quentin.” She whispered.

It was a sweet moment.  At least, it was… until Rene’s voice interrupted.

“Hate to break up your little lovefest and all, but I am starting to hear the sirens.  We better go.”  Rene noted from a few yards ahead of them as he held open the front door.

Lance pulled out of the hug and said, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”  He figured they probably still had a few minutes until anyone arrived, but this whole ordeal wasn’t over yet.  Felicity was still in danger.  Therefore, they needed to get back to the bunker ASAP and help in any way they could.

********

Turning off his com, Curtis felt like a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders now that Thea was safe.  He took a deep, cleansing breath and thought to himself: _one down, one to go_.  Cracking his knuckles exaggeratedly, he brought his attention back to his computer and did a thorough check of Felicity’s location.  At least, he’d be as through as technology allowed him which, it turned out, wasn’t very.

Felicity was being held hostage in a long abandoned, non-descript warehouse near the edge of town.  A perimeter check was doable and somewhat informative.  However, like Verdant, it lacked a workable inner surveillance system, making it impossible to see the inside.  He quickly turned his com back on to tell Dig and Dinah what he had learned.

“Roger that.” Digg, replied.  “We’ll proceed carefully…”  Curtis heard the sudden sound of tires squealing and then a muffled curse word before Diggle added, “once we get there.  That is… if we make it there in one piece.”

“No worries, big guy.  I know what I’m doing.” Dinah called through the coms over the roar of the engine.

A Few moments later, Dinah made a hard turn into a cracked and weed-ridden parking lot and put the car in park.

“We’re here.” Dinah informed both men. “Fully intact.”  She added with a smirk at Diggle.

Curtis spoke first, “All right, the outside is still clear.  Get going.  Felicity only has five minutes.”

Diggle gave a nod to Dinah and said, “Let’s move.”

Exiting the vehicle in unison, they ran all the way to the building’s entrance.  Once at the door, they paused to retrieve their weapons from their waist bands.  Diggle grabbed his Glock while Dinah whipped out her extendable bo staff, a gift from her new friend Cisco Ramon, and extended it to its full height.  Now properly equipped, they headed inside.

The room they found themselves in appeared small and dark.  Diggle flipped the lights while keeping his gun raised in front of him with the other hand.  The ceiling lamp flickered to life half-heartedly, showering the room in an unstable glow.  It revealed that the room actually was tiny and once used to be some sort of reception area.  Diggle and Dinah cleared the room, then hurried to the back area that housed the majority of the warehouse building.

The back area was enormous, stretching back as far as the eye could see.  There were tall shelves full of boxes lining the walls and even more forming long lines across the room, all covered in dust and cobwebs.  Some rusted machinery and ladders lay strewn about as well.  What remained to be unseen, however, was Felicity Smoak.

“Four minutes.” Curtis’s voice warned.

“This building is huge.  It’ll take too much time to search it all.”  Dinah stated the obvious.

“We have to try.” Diggle told her.

“Guys, Chase placed Thea in the center of the of the dance floor at Verdant.  Try heading toward the center of the warehouse.”  Curtis suggested.

“It’s worth a shot.”  Dinah told Diggle.

He just nodded then responded to Curtis promptly, “Copy that.”  Looking back to Dinah, he gestured toward the side walls and said, “You take the left half of the ware house, I’ll take the right.  We’ll meet up in the middle.”

They shared a nod of understanding as they turned off their coms, then split up and quickly cleared as much of the building as they could.  The room smelled staler the farther in they went in between the shelves, and there was no noise except for rodents scurrying about and the occasional call of Felicity’s name from both of them.  Unfortunately, she was unresponsive.

Soon enough, Dinah made her way toward the center region of the building and saw the shelves deviate from their neat line.  They began to twist and turn, forming a large square.  Studying the nearest shelf, Dinah noticed a tiny black box.  Moving closer, she picked it up and read the yellow writing on top that said: **_1-1/4 lbs COMP C-4._**   She inwardly cursed, then went to place it back in its place slowly and carefully.  As she did so, Dinah told herself the bomb was a good thing because it meant Felicity had to be close.  From her squat position, she finished putting the explosive it on the lower shelf that she found it on when a something caught her eye.  Something bright and… pink?  Looking upward, Dinah’s eyes widened.

“Felicity.” She whispered to herself, then stood up and darted around the shelves toward the open side of the square formation.  On her way, she yelled to Dig, “OVER HERE!”

Diggle was not far off from Dinah’s location, so he made it to Felicity only a couple seconds after she did.  He holstered his gun as he saw Dinah leaning over Felicity and taking her pulse on her neck.  Dig’s gut twisted when he moved to get a better look at his blonde friend.  Felicity’s glasses were cracked on one side, and her hair was messed up too.  Some came loose from her ponytail on one side, while the other side was matted and bloody from a thin trail of red that flowed from the top her head down onto her forehead and cheekbone.  Diggle felt a pang of fear as he hoped the head wound was as minor as it looked.  However, that was nothing compared to the fact that she was currently tied to a wooden chair with a bomb strapped to her chest that read: _2:03_.

“Is she…”  Dig couldn’t finish the statement.  Luckily, he didn’t have to.

“She’s alive, just unconscious.  Pulse is steady.”  Dinah informed him coolly.

Diggle let out a breath of relief then turned his com back on and said, “Curtis, we found Felicity, but we need your help… and fast.”

“Let me guess… she’s wearing a bomb vest with C4 and wires and the whole shebang.”  He guessed logically.

“Yeah.” Diggle answered.

Curtis went on, “And I’m also guessing there is more C-4 hidden around her?”

Dinah, who was now standing up and listening in from her own com, thought about the C4 she had found a moment ago and the others she spotted during her frantic run to Felicity’s aide and answered immediately, “Yes.”

“Okay.”  Curtis replied.  “Those bombs should be fine once we disable the detonator on the vest.”

“And how do we do that?” Diggle questioned.

“All you have to do is cut the red wire.”  Curtis told them confidently.

Dinah and Diggle, who stood face to face, both looked toward Felicity at that moment and took in all the wires connected to the vest.  There were bunch strewn every which way… and they were all one color.

Diggle, who was somewhat knowledgeable about explosives from his military training, squatted down to get a better look.  Unfortunately, it was a unique design.  He had no clue where to begin in disarming it.

Meanwhile, Dinah informed Curtis of their little problem saying, “Yeah, about that… they’re _all_ red.”

“All three?  That’s odd.”  Curtis responded, his mind working a mile a minute for answers and his hands moving just a fast across the keyboard.

“More like all _twenty_.”  She corrected.

“Twenty?”  Curtis questioned, his voice an octave higher than normal.

“Give or take.” Dinah confirmed.

“All right, I see what I can find out.  Tell me more about the bomb.”  Curtis demanded.

Dinah did as she was told, reiterating all the details to her friend.

Diggle still crouched in front of Felicity, trying to come up with a solution.  If only he could figure out which wire was connected to the detonator... but it was no use.  There were too many to tell, especially since they were all the same color and constantly overlapped.  _Seriously, who uses so many wires on a bomb?_  Diggle thought then groaned in frustration.

“Dig?” A soft voice croaked out.

His eyes immediately shot upward and he watched Felicity lift her head slightly.

“Oh, god.” She continued.  “My head is killing me.”  She added, moving her hand to rub the sore spot, but it didn’t move.  Instead she felt pressure against her wrist, keeping it down where it was.  “What the… what happened? Where am I?”

“You’re in an old warehouse.  Chase kidnapped you and brought you here.”  Diggle explained.  “Do you remember anything?”

“Just that someone strange was in the apartment, then everything goes black.”  She recalled after a moment of thought.

“You were hit on the head pretty good, you should be fine though.”  Diggle nodded.

“Right.” Felicity nodded back, instantly regretting moving her head.  “Ugh, I can’t believe he attacked me at my own apartment… well, Thea’s apartment.”  She corrected herself, then felt a surge of panic coarse through her.  “Thea…  Where’s Thea?  Does Chase have her too?  Is she here?” She began to search the area around her for more people but only found Dinah.

“Thea’s fine.”  Diggle assured, grabbing her shoulder affectionately to comfort his friend.  “She _was_ taken, but Lance and Rene saved her.”

“Just liked Dig and I are going to save you.”  Dinah promised.

“Good.”  She gave a tired smile.  “So, can someone untie me now?”

Dinah smirked while Dig said, “On it.”  Taking out his military grade knife, he cut the ropes from her wrists and ankles.  Felicity’s first freed hand instantly went to her throbbing head wound, making her wince.

“Don’t move too much.”  Dinah warned.  “We don’t want to set it off.”

“Set what off?” She inquired.  Instead of answering, her friends gave sympathetic looks as they glanced downward.  Following their gaze, Felicity looked downward at her dress.  “Oh my frack.”

“Don’t worry, Curtis is patched in and helping us find a solution as we speak.” Dinah told her.

Felicity just kept starting at the wires and do-dads attached to the vest on her torso.  There was so much going on, it took her a minute to focus on the timer.  It read: 8:01.  She took a deep breath then began to speak, “Well, he’s got eight minutes.  That should be plenty of time for us to figure this out, right?”

“Felicity…”  Diggle said in a pained voice.  “You’re looking at it upside down.”

Looking from Dig to the timer again, Felicity focused hard on the numbers.  Coming out her grogginess more and the upside down thing, she realized that the clock hadn’t said _8:01_.  It had said _1:08_ … and now read only fifty-seven seconds.  Suddenly, Felicity had the urge to throw up.  _I don’t wanna die._ She thought to herself as tears pooled in her eyes and threatened to spill over.  At least, Felicity thought she only thought it until Diggle spoke.

“You won’t.  We are gonna get you out of this, Felicity.”

“How?” She questioned as a teared trailed down her bloody cheek.

“Curtis… got anything yet?”  Dinah queried as Diggle stared at the bomb again.  She paused to hear his reply, then turned to Felicity and said, “He’s working on it.  This bomb is just so complex…”

“You two should leave.”  Felicity said then.

“No way.”  Dinah told her as she crossed her arms in defiance.

“I might have to die but you guys don’t.  So, go… _please_.”

“Not gonna happen.”  Dinah repeated her earlier sentiment.

“Ugh, why?!  Why are you so stubborn?  Why don’t you just listen?  Why is this happening to me?” She rambled.

Dinah sighed and laid out the facts, “We think this is just a distraction… that Chase is trying to divert us from something bigger he’s planning.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”  Felicity whined as she pushed loose hair back behind her ear.

“A distraction.” Diggle finally chimed in.  “That’s it.”

“What’s it?” Dinah asked.

“This front of the vest is a distraction.”  He clarified.   “Felicity, I need you to stand up and turn around quickly but carefully.”

She obliged and Dig hastily ran his hands over the back of it.  Not seeing or feeling anything unusual, he grabbed his blade again.

“Are you sure about this?” Dinah asked, seeing where he was going with this.

“No.  You can leave if you want.”  He offered.

Dinah gave him a straight look and said, “I’m good right here.”

They were in a stare down when Curtis yelled through the coms, ““Guys, twenty seconds left!  I- I don’t know what to do!”

Diggle still stared at Dinah as he nodded and said, “I have an idea.”

Turning back to Felicity, he took a quick, deep breath and stabbed the backside of her vest.  It took some force, but he was able to slice through and cut a line downward.  Once it was mostly open, Diggle sheathed his knife and used his arm muscles to tear the very top and bottoms apart.  The vest jerked with each tug as the fabric pulled apart.  Diggle tensed each time… but nothing happened.  The bomb didn’t go off.  At least, not yet.

Felicity felt the vest jerk a few times, then felt Dig pushing it forward off of her and helped it along, trying her best to be careful and not just rip the damn thing off and toss it on the ground.  Dinah came around the other side to carefully take it from her.

Dinah turned around and laid the vest nicely on the floor as she glanced at the timer that had just begun to make a high pitched beeping noise.  Standing up straight, she ran over to Diggle who was having the life hugged out of him by Felicity and pulled them along as she spoke forcefully, “10 seconds… LET’S  MOVE!”

The trio sprinted out of their little square and back the way they came.  They had just hit pavement when the building blew.  There must have been more bombs hidden than they thought… or they were just larger because the resulting blast was gigantic.  The force of it knocked them forward several feet and onto the ground.

Diggle landed in prone position between the two girls.  For a long moment, he just laid there, coughing and catching his breath.  He heard the fire crackling as it consumed what was left of the warehouse, but it was faint compared to the ringing in his hears.  Pushing himself up, there was even more coughing, this time from the girls.

“Felicity, you okay?”  He called out worriedly.  “Dinah?”

“Yeah,” Dinah answered first, moaning as she rolled herself over onto her back and panted.  “I’m good.”

“Me too.” Felicity called out, and, as Diggle sat up onto his knees, he saw Felicity lift her head up slightly and give a thumbs up before collapsing back to prone position.

“Oh, no you don’t.” He said, jogging over to his blonde friend.  “You are not allowed to sleep until we get that head checked.”

“Ugh.” Grumbled Felicity as she reluctantly let Dig pull her to her feet.

Dinah walked over then, limping somewhat, and asked, “Is your com working?”

Diggle tapped his a few times and called Curtis’s name only to be met with silence.  He tried once more then answered, “Nope.”

“Mine neither.  The blast must have caused them to short circuit or something.”  Dinah responded.

“Then the sooner we get back to everyone and tell them we’re okay, the better.”  Felicity nodded.

“Agreed.”  Diggle acquiesced.  “Shall we, ladies?” He questioned with a grin, holding an arm out to each of them.

The women smiled and took a hold of Diggle, very appreciative of his chivalry.  Dinah could definitely use a crutch to ease the pain in her ankle.  It was only twisted, but it still hurt like hell to put weight on it.  As for Felicity, after the night she had just had, she was too exhausted and sore to move on her own.  So, all together as one big unit, the threesome made their way to the car.

The vehicle, a black sedan “borrowed” from the SCPD impound lot, was still intact and drivable despite the damage it sustained from shrapnel during the explosion.  About a foot from the car, Dinah let go of Dig and hobbled over to the passenger side door.  She rather drive, but with an injured right foot that wasn’t going to happen.  While Dinah settled herself up front, Diggle helped Felicity slide into the back.  He had just finished helping her with her buckle when he looked at Felicity and noted a strange expression cross her face.

“Hey, everything okay?”  Diggle probed.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”  Felicity answered.  “I just feel like I’m forgetting something.”

“Well, you did experience some head trauma today… or did you forget that to?” He quipped.

“Oh, I fully remember that.  The throbbing ache won’t let me forget.”  She tossed back.

“That bad, huh?” Dig asked.

“It’s manageable.  At least, it will be once I get some pain killers.” She added, inwardly groaning at the aching of her head.

“I’ll get you some as soon as we get back to the bunker.”  He affirmed with a small smirk playing on his lips.  With that, he shut the door and made his way to the driver’s side.  Moments later, he was buckled up and they were on their way back to HQ.                                                                                       

They had gone only a couple miles when Felicity blurted, “By the way… Thank you guys.  I mean, for rescuing me.  I owe you two big time.”

“You don’t owe use anything.” Dinah replied casually.

“Yeah, we’re just glad you’re okay.”  Diggle told her.  “You know how worried you had us?”

“And not just us but the whole team.  Between you and Thea both being abducted, we were all a hot mess.”  Dinah commented only half-joking.

“Especially Oliver I bet.”  Felicity noted, thinking of his temper.  “I just hope he didn’t throw anything or tip anything over.”

“He actually wasn’t too bad thanks to the advice you gave him.”  Diggle informed her.

Dinah nodded, “Yeah, Rene was the only one throwing things.  He was pretty torn up.”

“Poor guy.”  Felicity empathized.  After everything he’s been through with his ex-wife and daughter, this had to hit him hard. 

“Well, he’s all right now.  We all are.”  Diggle said matter-of-factly.  “Because Thea’s safe and so are you.”

“Right.” Felicity nodded.  “Lance and Rene rescued her and you two rescued me and I’m assuming Curtis was on computer duty tonight?" She questioned, mentally putting everything together now that  her life wasn't in danger and she actually had the time to think.

“Yep.” Dig agreed.

“That about sums it up.” Dinah retorted.

“So... where does that leave Oliver?”  Felicity queried.

“Uh….” Diggle trailed off, looking to Dinah for help.  She just stared back at him uncertainly.

“I mean, I doubt he’d actually sit still through all this back at the bunker... even if you'd tied him down.”  Felicity went on.  “And he’s obviously not here… so, did he go after Thea too?”

“No.  He wouldn’t choose between the two of you.” Dinah said seriously.  “He couldn’t.”

“Then where is he?”  Felicity wondered aloud.   _What weren't they telling her?_

There was a long pause as Diggle looked to Dinah once more.  She gave him an approving nod, then, finally, Diggle looked at Felicity through the rearview mirror and responded, “Yeah, about that…”


	13. And the Chase Comes to an End

After a long argument with the team and a ten minute motorcycle ride, Oliver was finally at Chase’s location.  He had Curtis track the unknown number he had called from earlier.  Apparently, it belonged to a payphone on Amell Avenue.  There was a deserted car part manufacturing company nearby, and, since Chase seemed to be operating out of abandoned buildings lately, there was a good chance this was his current hideout.  The fact that it was in the opposite direction of Thea’s and Felicity’s locations only convinced Oliver even more that he was on the right track.

His suspicions were confirmed when he arrived at the factory’s address and found some familiar looking henchman guarding the front.  Oliver watched from the building next door as two guards flanked either side of the entrance in silence.  No others were out and about, at least for now, so he quickly took advantage of the situation.

Stepping back out of site with his back pressed against the brick wall of the mechanics garage he was using for cover, Oliver retrieved an arrow from his quiver and loaded his bow.  Within the next second, he turned and fired, landing an arrow on the wall in between the two men.  A small, quiet explosion went off, knocking them unconscious.  Not wasting any time, Oliver ran over, made sure the cronies were alive yet comatose, then zipped tied their wrists and ankles.  As he was finishing up with the latter, Curtis’s voice came through the com.

“Thea’s safe.  Lance and Rene got her.”  He assured.

Oliver exhaled a heavy sigh of relief, then said, “Good.  What about Felicity?”

“No word yet.  I’ll keep you posted.”  Curtis promised.

“Thanks.”  Oliver nodded, then clicked off the com and headed swiftly inside.

As he entered the factory, Oliver hid behind a large cluster of packaged parts that were long forgotten.  He stealthily made his way to the next pile and the next and so on, using the movement and voices of people in the room as his guide.  Suddenly, he heard an eerily familiar voice and peeked over one of the boxes of metal.  Adrian Chase stood in full Prometheus attire, save the mask, and appeared to be giving directions to two other followers of his as he gestured to a large bulletin board of sorts.  The board was large with an array of photos.  The first set of photos was of an unfamiliar residential neighborhood followed by more of one particular house and schematics of the inside of it.  Past those were another set of pictures.  These ones were surveillance photos of people, a mother and son.  From the close ups posted in the middle, Oliver could see who exactly Chase was after.  His blood ran cold as his worst fears were confirmed.  He was, in fact, going after William… Oliver’s son.

Oliver immediately became enraged and jumped out of hiding, firing two arrows within microseconds of each other.  As they sank into each of the henchmen’s flesh, they instantly delivered a high voltage charge and rendered them insentient.  Then, the threat was down to only one.

“It’s over, Chase!” Oliver’s voiced boomed as he strode forward commandingly.

Unfortunately, Adrian wasn’t the least bit intimidated.  In fact, he smiled as he replied, “Oliver, what an unexpected surprise.  I’m impressed.”

“I mean it.”  Oliver told him, then added.  “Leave William out of this!”

“Wish I could, but it’s just… _too_ perfect.  “You took my father from his son, so I’ll take your son from his father.  It’s the ultimate, karmic revenge.  Some might even call it poetic.”

“Please, I beg you.  Kill me instead.”  Oliver bargained.

“Oh, come on now.” Chase retorted.  “What fun would that be?”

Oliver cursed under his breath as his face reddened in anger, then he spat, “That’s what you’re calling all of this… _fun_?”

“Well, the look on your girls’ faces when my men and I kidnapped them were pretty entertaining.” Chase taunted.

Oliver tightened his grip on his bow so much that he thought he might snap it in half.  Instead, he tossed back, “My team saved Thea… and soon Felicity will be safe too.”

“Don’t be so sure.”  Chase warned.  “Your team got lucky with your sister, and Felicity…”  He paused a moment to gesture to the monitors to his right.  “well, she’s only got about five minutes left.”

Glancing in the given direction, Oliver saw two monitors.  One was off, however, the other appeared to be streaming a live feed of an old building.  There was also a timer in the corner of the screen that read: **_5:03._**

“Why?”  Oliver asked in anguish, trying to avoid looking at the screen and, more importantly, trying to understand.  “Why take them both?  Why take them at all if William is who you really want?”

“Why not?”  Chase shrugged.  “I needed a distraction, an opening act, if you will.  One worthy enough to precede my grand final end game… and this idea seemed to be just perfect.”

Oliver’s heart that was already racing began moving even faster as he started to lose what was left of his resolve.  _WHY NOT? THAT WAS ALL HE HAD TO SAY FOR HIMSELF? WHY NOT?!_ The vein in his forehead was resurrecting itself as he squeezed his bow even tighter, turning his fingers red and knuckles white underneath his dark green glove.  Just as he was about to grab another arrow and kick into vigilante mode, the voice from earlier came back into his mind and whispered,

  ** _“You have try to control yourself, Oliver… don’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s getting to you.”_**

Oliver hesitated as thought about Felicity and her words of wisdom.  She was right.  He needed to control himself and snuff out his emotions.  Only then would his mind become clear and Chase be able to be defeated.  And so, somewhat reluctantly, Oliver took a calming breath and holstered his bow on his back.

In a softer, unwavering voice, he looked Chase directly in the eyes and asked, “So your plan is to kill the people I love most… and then what?  Kill me at the end?”

“I don’t plan on killing you, Oliver.”  Chase stated matter-of-factly.  “It’s like I said before, that would ruin the fun… the fun of watching you endlessly suffocate under the weight of your own grief and culpability.”

“No.”  Oliver said simply.

Chase took a small step forward and cocked an eyebrow as he replied, “Excuse me?”

“You can do whatever you think you need to do, Adrian.  I’ll try to talk you down, yell at you, and even fight you to the death if that’s what it takes.  But what I won’t do… is blame myself.  I do that enough for problems I actually have caused.  I’m not about to do it for yours.”  Oliver clarified, not missing the way Chase’s jaw clenched briefly in irritation.

“Oh, contraire.” Chase retorted, appearing unbothered once more.  “All this _is_ your fault, Oliver.  _You_ killed my father.  _You_ set this course of events in motion.  Whatever happens now… whoever dies… it’s on _you_.”

“ _No_.”  Oliver spoke more forcefully this time.  “It’s _not_.  Yes, I killed your father, Adrian, and I will take full responsibility for that.  But I’m not the one that started this deadly game for my own sick form of entertainment.  That was all you.  I know at least that much.  But what I _don’t know_ is how you justify it?  Do you think your father would be okay with this?  That this is what he would have wanted?  Do you think he’d be _proud_ of you?”

 Chase tried not to react.  However, a flicker of emotion in his eyes gave him away.

“You do.”  Oliver told him.  “You actually think you’re honoring him.”

“Shut up.”  Chase tossed out angrily.  “You have no right to talk about my father.” 

As Oliver watched the whisper of despondency in Adrian’s eyes ignite into something much more furious, he knew he’d pushed the right button and began to probe further, “It’s ironic really… you going to these lengths to avenge him when he barely acknowledged your existence in the first place.”

“That’s not true!” Adrian blurted indignantly, staring daggers at his opponent in green, then went back to clenching his teeth so hard that his jaw ticked.

Oliver was obviously getting to him, so he took it as a sign to continue and said, “You’re right, he did acknowledge you.  After all, he sent you to boarding school during the year, different sleep away camps during the summers, and even got you into an out of state college.”  He recalled from the research Felicity had dug up and showed him.  “So, I guess it wasn’t your existence that he couldn’t stand as much as your presence.”

“I said shut up!” Chase yelled in warning as he whipped a throwing star right passed Oliver’s head.

It wasn’t really that close to him or unexpected, so Oliver didn’t flinch away.  He just looked at the madman, trying to decide whether Chase was actually trying to aim at him or not.  Not totally sure, he went on with his speech.

“The truth is… you’ve been searching for your father’s approval your whole life, and it _never_ happened.  Every time you tried, he just pushed you further and further away.”  Oliver tossed back.

“I would have won him over eventually, I would have proved myself... but you took him away from me before I could.” Chase spoke venomously.

“No, you wouldn’t.”  Oliver told him, tone firm.  “Deep down you know the kind of man your father really was, and you know he would have never accepted you.  No matter what you did.  But at least this way, with taking on this quest of retribution, you can pretend.”  He added the latter as an afterthought.  Chase said nothing, just gave him a long, intense look as he stared back at him.  Not that he had much time to respond anyway as Oliver rushed on, “You can pretend that _you’re_ the hero and that when this “mission” is over, your father will _finally_ be proud of you… once and for all.  But that is _not_ what is going to happen.  No one would be proud of the things you have done, the person you have become… _no one_.”

Chase took a couple more slow steps toward Oliver, so he was right in front of him.  He opened his mouth to speak then closed it.  Instead, he nodded thoughtfully… and punched Oliver right across face with a wicked right hook to the jaw.  As Oliver delicately cradled his face to check out the damage, which was a bloody lip and the beginning of a wicked bruise, Chase commented maliciously, “I guess there is no point in stopping now then.”

He went for another blow, but this time Oliver was on alert and deflected it, tossing out a punch of his own.  Soon punches turned to roundhouses and other slick moves as they battled it out across the open section of the room.  As Oliver had hoped, he had knocked Chase off his game.  He was still holding his own, but his enemy was lacking the precision and control that he usually had.  It was this fact that helped Oliver to outdo his opponent and sideswipe his legs out from under him, making him supine on his back side.  Leaning over him, Oliver clutched the straps on the front of Chase’s uniform with one hand, lifting him partially off the ground and grabbed a regular arrow from his quiver with the other, holding it high, ready to stab him and end it all.  But suddenly, something made Oliver hesitate.  Maybe it was his moral compass.  Maybe it was his realization from their earlier conversation that Chase was just a victim himself.  Or maybe it was the fact that Chase was smirking at him right now. _WTF?_

Before Oliver could question it, Chase taunted, “Go ahead.  Kill me.  I don’t need to use William to torture you.  It would have been preferable, but Felicity’s death will do.”

“What?”  Oliver asked exasperatedly, not knowing what else to say.

“Say goodbye, Oliver.”  Chase sneered as gestured with a head nod to the computer peeking out over Oliver’s shoulder just enough so he could see the timer blinking rapidly.

Holding his position, Oliver twisted his torso around just enough to see the timer count down the final few digits and then…. _BOOM!_

“No!” Oliver’s voice came out in a horrified whisper as he dropped the arrow and ran over to the computer.  He watched as the building exploded and became consumed by wicked flames that danced brightly in the darkness of the otherwise calm nightfall that surrounded the area.  His hand instinctively went to the com in his right ear, needing to know if they got her out in time.  If they didn’t, well… Oliver knew there was no way anyone could survive a blast of that magnitude.

Unfortunately, the com was no longer in place.  Oliver figured it became dislodged during the fight, probably from the initial punch that started it all, but it was hard to be sure.  Not that it mattered.  What’s done is done.  All he could do now was search the screen for any signs of life or… not life.  Oliver wouldn’t even think the “D” word.  Not yet.  Not until he had all the facts.  Much to his annoyance, it was impossible to tell what he was seeing exactly between the darkness and all the wreckage.  He continued to search the screen anyway as his heart ached longingly for both answers and the love of his life, Felicity Smoak.

“It hurts, doesn’t it?”  Chase called out, now standing were he had just been laying on the floor.  Striding forward with a slight limp, he added, “It hurts when someone you love gets taken from you and your relationship is left so… unfinished.”

Oliver pulled another arrow, but, this time around, he also grabbed his bow.  He quickly got into to position, pulled back, and aimed.  He stared down Chase who didn’t even seem phased.  He just stopped moving, grinned, and then kept talking.

“Well, now you’ll never know what could have been either.”  Chase mocked.  You could have been happy.  You could have gotten everything you have ever wanted.  You could have had all your dreams come true.  But you were _too_ _late_.”

After that little speech, Oliver’s whole body was tense, his heart was racing, and he was fighting back tears.  This couldn’t be happening… but it was… and it did.  He saw the explosion himself.  It was on repeat in his mind, goading him into just letting the arrow go and killing his nemesis.  It would be so easy… but would it be right?  Would it really do any good?  He knew deep down Felicity would say no on both accounts.  Then again, Felicity was gone, and he didn’t even get to tell her good bye.  Who knew what her last words were let alone her final wishes.  All he could say for sure in this moment was that he was livid and his arm was getting tired.

As Oliver contemplated his next move, Chase sensed his hesitation and opened his trap again.  Smiling wider, he said, “But what else is new?  You are always too late, you _and_ your team.  You’d get so close but could never quite see what was really going on.  If only you could have seen sooner what was right there in front of—“

Chase didn’t get to finish his statement, and he never would.  A bullet entering his temple, slicing through his brain, and exiting the other side put an effective end to his dialogue as well as his life.  As his body slumped to the ground lifelessly, Oliver quickly re-aimed his bow in the direction of the newest threat.  Not too far away he saw a familiar face.

“Same to you there, buddy.” Quentin Lance quipped dryly.

“Quentin?” Oliver questioned, lowering his bow in confusion.  “What are you doing here?”

“Thought you could use some help.”  Lance answered casually as he holstered his weapon at his side.

Oliver followed suit with his bow as he said, “Thanks, but I could have handed it.”

“Maybe.”  Lance replied.  “But not the way I did.”

“You don’t know that.”  Oliver tossed back.

“You couldn’t kill him anymore than you could his minions or anyone else these days… because you’re better than that, better than _him_.” He added, gesturing to Chase’s limp body.

Oliver quirked a brow, retorting, “And you’re not?”

“Not necessarily, but it’s better if I get caught for murder than the mayor.”  Lance told him logically.

“No one will get caught.”  Oliver promised, giving Quentin a confident look.  “I have a plan.”  He informed his friend as he looked around the room.  Gesturing for Lance to follow, he led the way to a row of large metal drums against the wall.  Together, they lifted one of the 50 gallon barrels and brought it over next to Chase’s body.

As they set it down, Lance got a better look at the label.  “Sulfuric acid?  “He asked as Oliver popped the lid off.  “We’re gonna dissolve him?”

“It’s the best way to get rid of him and destroy all the evidence.”  Oliver noted as he squatted down to lift Chase.  Before he touched him, Oliver stared for a moment, taking in the serene look on Adrian’s lifeless face.  He started to feel bad for Chase about his daddy issues and how they led to his untimely end like this.

Lance saw the look of sadness and remorse on Oliver’s face and immediately began to argue, “Oh no, you don’t… don’t you dare feel guilty.  You’re not blaming yourself for this one.”

“I don’t, and I’m not.”  Oliver assured.  “It’s just… I can’t help feeling like he didn’t deserve to die.  I know that sounds crazy after everything he put us through…”

“It’s not crazy, Oliver.”  Lance spoke as he crouched down across from him.  “Of course he didn’t _deserve_ to die, no one ever does, but you and I both know by now that some people are better off dead.”

Oliver sighed, knowing his friend made a valid point and agreed reluctantly, “You’re right.  I still don’t like it… but you’re right.”

“That’s okay, I don’t like when you’re right either.”  Lance jibed.

Oliver offered the smallest of smiles, then finally looked to Quentin and said, “Help me get him in?”

Lance nodded and together they managed to get their enemy inside the drum with minimal mess.  Chase’s head still stuck out though.  It would take a little maneuvering to get him all the way inside.

“The bullet was a through and through.”  Oliver stated the obvious.  “Why don’t you go collect it and the casing, while I finish up with this?”

“My pleasure.”  Lance replied, glad to be done man-handling a dead body and then got to work with his new task.  Striding across the room a ways, he easily found the shiny cartridge casing his gun had left behind discarded on the floor.  Oppositely, it was a bit trickier tracking down the bullet, which had ended up puncturing the side of a cardboard box and landing in a bunch metal bric-a-brac.  However, he eventually managed to find it and stuffed both pieces securely in the pocket of the Kevlar vest he wore. Noticing Oliver was still busy with Chase, Lance took it upon himself to clean up the blood pool left behind.  Finding an old mop, bucket, and bleach, he managed to rid the floor of red within a few minutes.  By the time he was done, so was Oliver.  He had just resealed the drum, when Lance came over to check on him.  Upon request, Lance dutifully helped him carry the drum back to the wall they got it from.

Once that was done and nothing looked out of place, Lance questioned, “So, now what?”

“Now… we have some people we need to see.” He said somberly, thinking of the team and how torn up they must be over the turn of events tonight.  Let’s get out of here.”

“What about him?” Lance queried, gesturing to the barrel with his thumb.

“He’ll be okay here for a day or two.”  Oliver asserted.  “Once things calm down a bit, we’ll come back to move him somewhere more secure.”

“And his buddies?”  He asked, referring to the henchmen that were still unconscious for now.

“If we call SCPD that will draw too much attention to this place, and I don’t want the police anywhere near here while Chase’s body is still on the premises.”  Oliver explained, then added, “We’ll just leave them here.”

“You mean let them go?” Lance said, a little surprised.  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“It’ll be fine.  None of them are a real threat anyway.”  Oliver affirmed.

“Fine.  Let’s go.” Lance said tiredly, ready to be done with this day.

“I’ll meet you back at the bunker, I just need to take care of one more thing.”  Oliver told him.

With a nod, Quentin headed out of the building, leaving his friend to finish his business.

Oliver walked over to the bulletin board that was set up in the middle area near where he fought Chase and began ripping down all the photos and other references to Samantha and William.  He tossed them into a nearby metal container one-by-one.  He hesitated a moment as his eyes lingered on the close-ups of the two of them, but after a moment, he tossed those in too.  Separation was for the best.  They needed to be safe and away from all things Green Arrow.  After all, getting involved with the Green Arrow only led to pain and suffering for those close to him.

Taking down the rest of the papers referring to his estranged son and adding them to the pile, Oliver dug out a match from his belt.  Once it was aflame, he dropped it into the container and watched it all begin to turn to ash.  Feeling slightly better, he turned to go, leaving the small fire to burn itself out in time.

Stepping out into the cool night air, Oliver saw Quentin leaning against the building.

“What are you still doing here?”  He questioned.

“She's alive.”  Lance replied in utter disbelief as he shut off his com.  "Felicity's alive."

"Are you sure?"  Oliver asked, wanting to be certain.

"I just talked to Curtis." Lance explained.  "Apparently, John and Dinah managed to get her out in the nick of time.  They're back at the bunker now."

Oliver let out a huge breath he didn't know he had been holding in and felt tears of relief pool in his eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Lance inquired teasingly before giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.  "Let's go see your girl."

" _Our_ girl." Oliver corrected, knowing just how much Felicity meant to him as well.

After sharing a quick smile, they headed off toward their vehicles.  Oliver only made it a few steps when he heard Quentin let out a muffled curse.  Concerned, he called back to his friend and said, "Everything all right?"

"My tire's flat." He retorted, irritation evident in his voice.  " I must've hit something sharp on the way over."

“Ah.” Oliver said in understanding.  “No worries, you can ride with me.”

Not seeing any other options, Lance followed Oliver over to the alley beside the building next door and found Oliver’s motorcycle parked back in the shadows.

“Here.”  Oliver stated casually, offering his friend his helmet as he got on his bike.

Lance balked at him then said, “You’ve gotta be kidding.”

“It’s a short ride.  We don’t need to make a big deal of it.”  Oliver told him.

Lance wanted to object, but he wanted to see Felicity more.  So, he gave in and said, “Fine, but I’m _not_ holding on to you.”

“I don’t think you have much of a choice.”  Oliver noted.

“All right,” Lance accepted reluctantly, _very_ reluctantly.  “but if I’m gonna do this, you need to promise me that under no circumstances will Rene find out, you hear me?”  Lance added.

Oliver stifled a smile and nodded in agreement, knowing that if he did mention this to Rene, neither of them would ever hear the end of it.

Lance, finally caving into the situation, put on the helmet and got on behind Oliver, making sure to touch him as little as possible.

A moment later, Oliver pulled out into the dimly lit street.  As he turned a corner and picked up speed, he felt Lance shift from barely gripping his sides to holding onto his midsection.  He knew Lance had to be hating this.  Even Oliver had to admit, these weren’t exactly the arms he wanted wrapped around him right now… or ever. 

Who he really wanted was back at the bunker…

his sister, of course... and his Felicity.

*******

“Ollie!” Thea called out as soon as she saw her brother exit the elevator and enter the lair.  She scrambled off her boyfriend’s lap and ran over to him, practically throwing herself into his arms.

“Thea, thank god you’re okay.” Oliver replied, squeezing her tightly as he let out a huge breath of relief.  “Did he hurt you?”  He asked, pulling back to look at her.  She was a little worse for wear but seemed intact from what he could tell.

“I got few bruises from fighting off one of his men, but I’m good.  I’m just glad you’re all right.  When we lost communications with you, I didn’t know what was happening or if you were even still alive.  I was so scared.”  Thea revealed.

“Hey,” Oliver cooed.  “I’m right here.  Everything’s okay now.” He assured then pulled her into another hug.  His eyes had been closed the first time they embraced, but this time he kept them open and noticed everyone was watching them except for Lance and Felicity who seemed to be having a moment of their own, which also involved hugging.

"Love you, big brother..." Thea said sweetly in a near whisper.  Then, as they pulled apart, Oliver began to return the sentiment but was interrupted by a smack to the chest.  "but you are _such_ an idiot!  How could you go rushing after Chase on your own like that?!"

Curtis and Diggle chuckled as they pretended to be in a discussion about some piece of tech.  Rene blatantly watched the argument but only found it slightly amusing.  After all, he was on the receiving end of the "you're an idiot" rant just a short while ago, so he knew Oliver's pain.

"Speedy--" Oliver tried, but was abruptly cut off.

"Don't you 'Speedy' me!"  She warned.  "What were you thinking?"

Oliver took a breath then answered, "I was thinking that I had to stop Chase before he took everyone I loved most, including my son."

“Oh, god.  He grabbed William too?”  Thea retorted, surprise and worry evident in her voice.

“He was planning to…” Oliver began to explain.  “but we stopped him before he could.”  He finished, tossing Lance, who was now watching the scene along with everyone else, an appreciative nod.  He just nodded back silently.

“Good.” Thea replied after a second as a rush of relief ran through her.

“So, does that mean I’m forgiven then?”  Oliver quirked a brow at his sister.

“I suppose so.” Thea teased, though they both knew she wasn’t really mad to begin with.  “But, for the record, if you ever make a stupid decision like that again…

“I won’t.” He cut off.  “Promise.”

Diggle snorted derisively, then, unable to keep himself from interjecting, he quipped, “Yeah, right.  I give it a week tops.”

“I got two.” Rene added cheekily.

“I’ll split the difference.” Lance chimed in.

“Guys, stop…” Curtis told them.

“Thank you, Curtis.”  Oliver said appreciatively.

“Oh, no… I just needed a moment to pull up spreadsheet.  Who had two weeks again?” He tossed out.  The men, Thea, and Dinah all gathered around to officially place their bets as his hands flew across the keys, recording all the data.  Meanwhile, Oliver just stood there, shaking his head.

“You know, we could make this a drinking game. Every time Ollie does something impulsive, take a shot.”  Thea joked, tossing a wink back at her brother.

“Come on, Thea.”  Felicity finally spoke up as she took a few steps toward Oliver.  “There’s not enough alcohol in the world to make that game last.”

Oliver grinned, partially at the teasing, but mostly because he was glad to see Felicity alive and smiling, especially the former.  After another moment of letting the team have their fun, Oliver’s voice rang out above the noise, “Well, clearly you all are delirious, so I think it’s time to call it a night.”

“Wait…” Curtis called out, stepping away from the computer.  “Aren’t you going to tell us what happened to Chase?”

The whole gang fell back into their team meeting once more as Lance shrugged and said, “I shot him, and now he’s taking a nice acid bath.”

Everyone began asking questions all at once, but, after a few seconds, Oliver cut them off and said, “Guys!  I promise we will answer all of your questions, but it has been a long night, and some of us have a big day tomorrow.”  He glanced pointedly at Rene to remind him of his court appearance, as if he could forget something that important.

“Oliver’s right.” Felicity agreed.  “Everyone should go home and get some rest.”

With that, everyone obliged and went to change and grab their things.

“Felicity...” Oliver called out quietly before she could get too far.

“Hmmm?” She mumbled back.

Just then Diggle appeared between them and asked, “You guys need a ride?”

Oliver, annoyed with his friend’s timing, sighed dejectedly, “Yeah, thanks, Dig.” He glanced back at Felicity and gave her a look that said they would talk later.  She nodded and watched him retreat as he left to go change.  As she stood there and waited with Diggle, Felicity too felt a little irritated with the interruption, but, more than that, she felt hopeful and optimistic.

Then again, that could just be the pain meds kicking in.  But since she was only on aspirin (yes, real aspirin this time), Felicity didn’t think so.

*******

Once they arrived back at the apartment, Felicity headed straight for the shower, while Oliver cleaned up the mess left over from the abduction.  After everything was tidied up and put back in its place or in the trash, he cleaned himself up a bit at the kitchen sink as he waited for the coffee machine to work its magic.  Shortly after the pot was filled, Felicity strolled out from the hallway, wearing her nesting doll pajama pants and long-sleeved, navy blue STAR Labs shirt.

“That smells heavenly.”  She sighed in delight as she inhaled the aroma of fresh coffee wafting through the air.

“Here.”  Oliver said, handing her a steaming green mug.

“Isn’t a bit late for this?” She inquired.

“I’ve never known you as one to turn down coffee, Felicity Smoak.”  Oliver noted.

Felicity smirked then grabbed the cup as she replied, “Oh, I’m not.  I’m just curious as to why you’re suddenly supporting my addiction.”

“Caffeine.” He said simply.  “With that head injury of yours, I rather you didn’t sleep tonight.”

“I’m fine.” She told him for the umpteenth time that night.  With all his badgering in the car, the ride home felt much longer than usual, but she couldn't be too annoyed with him.  After all, he only pestered her because he cared.

“So you say, but since you refused to go to the hospital and get checked out, we don’t know for sure.”  Oliver explained.  “And I rather not risk the chance of you sleeping and not waking up because you’re concussed.”

“All right, have it your way.”  Felicity relented, taking a big swallow of the hot, bitter liquid.  Now that she caught her second wind, she wasn’t going to sleep anyway.  She was way too wired from the events of tonight.

Once Oliver grabbed a cup for himself, they made their way over to the couch to sit down and continued to sip their coffee in silence.  However it wasn’t long before Felicity broke it.  Looking at Oliver sympathetically, she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Of course.  You and Thea are safe, so is everyone else, and Chase is dead.  Why wouldn’t I be okay?”  He replied.

“Because, like you said, Chase is dead.”  Felicity retorted.  “And even though you didn’t kill him, you still saw it happen, and that kind of thing takes a toll on a person…even _you_.”

“You always could read me better than anyone else.”  He admired before going on.  “But I swear I really am okay, It’s just… I know Lance didn’t have much of a choice in doing what he did, but you know Adrian’s background as well as I do.  He was a victim of his father’s abuse and neglect, and victims deserved to be helped not killed.”

“Oliver,” Felicity began slowly.  “you are capable of accomplishing so many great things in this city as both the mayor _and_ the Green Arrow… but, no matter which hat you wear, you _can’t_ save everyone, especially people like Chase who won’t help themselves.  I mean, yes, what he went through with his dad sucked, but he could have gotten therapy or talked to his mother or a friend or something, but he chose not to.  Instead, he _chose_ to bitter and angry, and he _chose_ to take out his feelings on other people, and those choices – _his_ _choices_ \- led to his death, not yours or Lance’s.”

“I know.”  He responded honestly.  “And it was actually your advice from earlier that helped me see that.”

“My advice?” She questioned.

“Yeah, when you were hacking away on your computer earlier, you told me that holding onto my anger and guilt was what gave Chase power, so I let go of those feelings, and, because of that, I was able to turn the tables around on him, play on his emotions instead, and defeat him.”

Felicity couldn’t help the smile that formed as she said, “Ah, so you did hear me.”

“I always hear you.”  He smiled back.  “I may not always _listen_ , but I always hear you.”

“Cute.”  She quipped before going for another sip of coffee.

“By the way, your laptop is still on the dining room table perfectly intact.”  Oliver gestured behind her with his head.

“My computer?”  Felicity turned around and suddenly felt a flash of déjà vu as she stared into the dining area.  Then it clicked.  “My computer!”

Hastily setting her coffee down, she dashed over and plopped in front her laptop.  A click and a tap later, she beckoned for Oliver.  Placing his mug next to hers, he made his way across the hardwood floor to stand behind her.

"I knew I was forgetting something earlier.  It was this."  Felicity said as she hit play on the video of Chase.

Oliver leaned forward and peered over her shoulder to get a better look.  The video wasn't that long, but it was long enough to show a decent view of Chase removing his Prometheus mask.  "Great work."  He praised.  "But I don't think we need it anymore now that Chase is no longer a threat."

Hitting the pause button, Felicity replied, "Maybe not.  Unless..." She trailed off, looking at Oliver with a mischievous glint in her glasses-free eyes.  Since they broke during her assault and it seemed silly to put her contacts in at ten-thirty at night, she was going 'commando' so to speak.  It was liberating in a way, yet also a tad blurry.

"Unless what?" Oliver asked, looking skeptical.

"Do you trust me?"  She questioned.

"Of course." He responded automatically.

Felicity smiled at both his response and the immediacy of it, then turned back to her computer.  Brushing some loose, damp hair behind her ear, she began clicking and typing like a mad-woman.  A solid minute later, she hit one last key and uttered, “There, it's done."

"Care to elaborate?" Oliver inquired, looking from her to the computer screen and back.

"I just sent the video to every major news outlet in Star City and posted it on the internet."  She explained.

"Okay... but why?  What good does that do us now?"  He probed.

Looking to her right, she met Oliver's eyes and replied, "Well, right now people think of Chase as a good guy and a respectable district attorney.  They see him as an important pillar of this community."

"Yeah, so..." Oliver agreed, then waited for her to go on.

" _So_... we can assume then that people are bound to notice his disappearance soon and start asking questions, questions we can't answer.  _However_ , if evidence of his role as Prometheus were to get out and go viral, then people would see the truth.  They would see Chase for the monster he really his, instead of an innocent victim, and just assume that he went into hiding."

After a long moment of consideration, Oliver stood up straight and retorted, "That's genius."

"I know." Felicity boasted as she shut her laptop closed.  "All problems solved."  She added with a smile as she stood and headed for the couch.

"Not quite." Oliver mumbled to himself, then spoke up louder.  "Felicity?"

"Yeah?" She responded, turning to face him.

Stepping closer to her, Oliver began hesitantly, "I never got the chance to tell you earlier, but I am _really_ glad that you're okay."

"Me too." Felicity agreed, only half-joking.

"I'm serious," He told her, looking her straight in the eyes.  "I don't know what I would have done if..."  Oliver couldn't finish the sentence, so instead he changed his train of thought.  "I need you Felicity.  I'm... I--"  He paused, unsure of what he wanted to say exactly.  His mouth remained opened for a moment, but nothing came out. 

Watching him sputter like a love-sick idiot, Felicity couldn't hold back any longer and kissed him.  Her hands cradled the sides of his face to pull him as close as possible, the pads of her fingers stroking his stubble.  Oliver was quick to reciprocate, winding his arms around her waist and deepening the kiss.

After a blissful moment, Felicity pulled back so she could look Oliver in the eyes and whispered, "I love you too."

"You do?" He queried, caught off guard by her admission despite the fact that she had just kissed him.

She smiled and nodded before adding, "To be completely honest, I never really stopped.  The whole time we were broken up, you were always in the back of my mind.  In fact, I don't think I've stopped thinking about you since the day you walked into my office with a laptop full of bullet holes."

"Me either." Oliver said with a grin.

"The fact of the matter is, I know now  better than ever that when it comes to being _with_ you or being _without_ you... there is no choice to make."  Felicity told him knowingly.  "However, there are some changes that _do_ need to be made."  She said more seriously.  "No more secrets, Oliver.  I need to know that you trust me completely."

"You're right.  No more secrets... because I _do_ love you and trust you more than anyone."  He swore, then added, "But, Felicity, you have to understand that my past is... atypical.  So, there are bound to be surprises here and there, but you can't just push me away when you hear something you don't like.  We need to talk and work through it... _together_."

"Deal." She repeated, nodding in understanding, then sealed the promise with a kiss.

Pulling apart once more, a thought occurred to Oliver and so he asked, "So, now that we are a couple again... where exactly does this leave us lable-wise?"

Felicity thought for a second before replying, "Let's start with boyfriend and girlfriend... for now."  She figured that was best.  That way they didn't need to worry about their emotions from tonight rushing them into anything they weren't ready for.  Besides, she didn't want to remember today of all days as the date they got engaged... or reengaged or whatever.

"I can live with that."  He responded in a satisfied tone.  It wasn't exactly ideal, but it was better than what they were before.

"So..." Felicity trailed off, moving her arms around his neck and gazing up at him contentedly.

"So..." Oliver mimicked, pulling her closer.

"What do you want to do now?"  She inquired.

"We should probably finish our coffee."  Oliver said logically. "We need to keep you caffeinated and awake."

"Eh, it's probably cold by now." Felicity rejected the idea.  "Anyways, if you really want to keep me awake we should probably do something more entertaining."

"We could play cards."  He suggested.  "Ochos Locos?"

"Tempting."  She replied.  "But I think I have a better idea."

Before Oliver could question her, Felicity kissed him again, long and deep.  The kiss showed him just how much she missed and wanted him.  Naturally, he was happy to show just how much he wanted her right back.  However, Oliver didn't realize exactly what her intent was until her hands slid under the bottom of his tee shirt and began tugging upward. 

Feeling a bit shocked, he pulled away just enough to break the kiss and whisper huskily, "Felicity... are you sure?"

Detaching herself and taking a step away from him, she didn't say anything.  Instead, Felicity grabbed the ends of her own shirt and pulled it over head, discarding it aimlessly on the floor.  Still silent, she stood there and waited for Oliver to make the next move.

Oliver sucked in a breath as he took in Felicity's exposed torso and the fact that she hadn't been (and still wasn't) wearing a bra.  She was more beautiful and perfect than he remembered.  After a moment of being slack-jawed, he realized the ball was in his court, and so he slowly removed his own shirt, never breaking eye contact with Felicity.  Oliver took a few more seconds to enjoy her reaction of a nervous gulp and tiny fires igniting deep in her pupils, then, unable to contain himself any longer, he took a swift step toward Felicity and pulled her flush against him. 

They began kissing passionately as she wound her arms around his neck once more, letting her fingers play with the hair on his nape.  Meanwhile, his hands explored her smooth, open backside.  Oliver's fingers roamed rapidly all over her porcelain skin before settling themselves on Felicity's waist.  The next thing he knew, Oliver was lifting her upward and taking full control of the situation.  Evidently, she didn't mind because Felicity easily and enthusiastically  gave in, wrapping her legs tightly around his mid-section.  Planting kisses down her neck and shoulder, Oliver listened to Felicity moan in pleasure as he strode forward and headed eagerly down the hallway.

Yes, they were going to his bedroom.  However, Oliver wasn't worried about Felicity falling asleep.  No... he planned to keep her _quite_ busy. 

All.  Night.  Long.


	14. Moving On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter has arrived. Enjoy all the feels!

"Looks like we have one more character witness to speak on Mr. Ramirez's behalf."  The judge said, tone booming with authority as she peered through her glasses at the witness list.  "Ms. Thea Queen please take the stand."

Upon hearing her name, Thea rose and did as she was told.  Making her way to her new seat for the time being, she got a closer look at the judge.  She was a tall, African American woman with thick, dark hair wrapped up neatly in a fancy bun on top of her head.  She had strong features and an air about her that told Thea she was one lady you did _not_ want to piss off.  Realizing that, The gulped nervously as sat down.

Once she was sworn in, the judge turned to Thea and asked, "Miss Queen, what is your relationship with Rene Ramirez?"

"He's my..."  She hesitated a brief moment as she looked at Zoe.  She didn't know when or how Rene planned on telling his daughter about their relationship, but figured this wasn't it.  So, Thea finished her response by saying,  "best friend."  That way, Zoe wouldn't become concerned and she didn't have to commit perjury.

"And how long have you two been... best friends?" She queried, seeming to understand what Thea wasn't saying.

"A few months now."  Thea answered vaguely.

"Tell me, Miss queen, what kind of man is Rene Ramirez?"  The judge asked outright.

Thea heard the judge ask this question each time someone took the stand.  Now that it was her turn to answer, she felt anxious.  One wrong word and she could ruin everything.  Taking a deep breath, Thea looked over at Rene who was smiling at her.  His smile made her smile and suddenly... she didn't feel so nervous anymore.

"Rene is... opinionated and headstrong, but he's also sweet and kind and caring.  Most importantly, he's always there for me when I need him.  He may not always do or say the right things, but he's always there and always trying... and I know that given the chance he would be there for Zoe too, trying his best to be the father she deserves.  She is the most important person in his life.  He needs her."  Thea explained.

"I understand that you feel Zoe is what is best for Mr. Ramirez," The judge replied.  "but this trial is about what's best for Zoe."

"Of course, your honor."  Thea answered.  "The thing is... I don't know Zoe, but I _do_ know what it's like to grow up without a father.  It feels lonely and painful and completely unfair.  It's like a piece of you is missing... and I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone.  What I'm trying to say is, every girl should get to grow up with their father if they can and Zoe is no exception.  That's why I believe, wholeheartedly, that Rene is what's best for her."

"Thank you, Miss Queen."  The judge nodded respectfully.  "You may step down."

Thea nodded back and moved back to her original seat next to Rene.  He squeezed her hand tightly and mouthed the words.  "Thank you."

Thea grinned in response, then judge called out to the courtroom.  "We will take a short recess while I consider all the testimonies and make my final decision."

With a bang of the gavel, everyone filed out into the lobby.  Zoe was nowhere in sight.  Thea figured her advocate was keeping her away from Rene until final ruling.  So, she and Rene were down the hallway a ways on their own.  Thea sat on a bench watching Rene pace back and forth  in front of her.  He was ranting about what may or may not happen and was getting all worked up.  Not able to watch any longer, Thea stood and blocked his way.

"Hey," She told him soothingly as she grabbed his shoulders.  "relax, it's gonna be okay."

"I hope so." He sighed.

"I know so."  Thea retorted, then moved her hands to cup his face and force him to look into her eyes.  "Just remember, whatever happens today... I love you and I'm here for you."

"I know, I-- wait... did you just say you love me?" Rene inquired, voice shocked.

"That a problem?"  Thea smirked as she quirked an eyebrow at her boyfriend.

Rene just grinned, shook his head, then replied, "Say it again."

Thea chuckled and said, "I love you, Rene Ramirez."

"I love you too, Thea Queen."  He responded, then quickly pulled her in for a kiss.

The kiss seemed to go on forever.  At least until Oliver interrupted.

"Guys,"  He called down the corridor loudly enough to jar the couple apart.  Gaining their attention he said, "Court is back in session."

Rene and Thea moved their gaze from Oliver to each other.  Thea gave him a reassuring smile and intertwined their hands.  Rene sighed and nodded back, then they followed her brother back into the court room.

*******

**Several months later...**

"That dinner was amazing."  Lyla praised as she wiped off John Junior's mashed potato covered hands and mouth.

"Yeah, you guys really outdid yourselves." Diggle agreed as he bounced his son on his knee and rubbed his stomach with this free hand.

"Just wait until dessert."  Oliver teased as he began clearing the table.

"Yeah, Ollie's planned something extra special."  Thea winked as she helped her brother clear the rest of the dishes.

Thea and Rene had insisted on holding a big family Thanksgiving dinner since this was not only Rene and Zoe's first Thanksgiving together for a while, but their first with Thea.  They invited all of Team Arrow plus Quentin and even Felicity's mom, Donna.  It was a bit crazy, but with Oliver in charge of the cooking, everything was running pretty smoothly.  Most importantly, Zoe was loving it.  It didn't take long for her to take to Rene's new friends and lifestyle.  In fact, she was putting her art skills to good use designing her own vigilante outfit and identity, much to Rene's encouragement and Oliver's dismay.

Oliver and Thea took all the dirty dishes to the kitchen with some help from Rene and Zoe.  Rene and Thea quickly took care of the dishes as they recalled some fond memories doing such.  Meanwhile, Zoe helped Oliver cut the pies into slices, place them on plates, and deliver them to the guests.  Soon the dishes were done and everyone was served dessert.  Well, almost everyone.

"Hey, where's my pie?" Felicity whined, noticing everyone else (except for Oliver) was at the table enjoying pumpkin-y goodness, while she still had an empty place setting.

"It's coming." Thea said casually.

Felicity sighed and took in the table full of people, talking and laughing and having a genuinely good time.  She smiled.  Today was a good day.  A day that made all the bad days worth it.  After she took in the happiness around her, Felicity found herself eyeing the decorations.  The food wasn't the only category they outdid themselves in.  Between the silk table cloth, the stylish place-settings, glittered pinecones littered about, and fall scented candles, the place looked fabulously festive.  Felicity's favorite part was the centerpieces.  They were two large vases consisting of sunflowers, ranunculus, calla lilies, berries, pine cones, and fall leaves.  They looked gorgeous.

She was still admiring the flowers when Curtis spoke up.  "I don't know how you're still hungry."  He told her.  "I'm pretty you ate at least half of the turkey."

"And all of the stuffing." Quentin added from across the table.  Donna, who was beside him, slapped him on the shoulder, causing them both too giggle.  Felicity smiled at the sight, hoping that something was being rekindled tonight.  They both deserved to be happy.

"Yeah, Lis.  You 've been so focused on food, you've barely touched your wine."  Thea commented.

"Ha. Ha." Felicity spoke dryly.  "You're all hilarious." She added sarcastically before taking a sip of water.

"Hey." Oliver chimed in softly, leaning in over her left shoulder.  "Just ignore them and enjoy your dessert." He finished, bringing a small soufflé around her right side and placing it in front of her.

Felicity licked her lips as she took in the heart on top made out of whipped cream and strawberries.  She couldn't help but smile at the design.  It was sweet in every way.  All of a sudden, her smile fell and eyes went wide as she noticed a diamond ring laying in the center of the heart.

Everyone immediately fell silent as they watched the scene play out in front of them.  Well, almost everyone.  Curtis smirked, shook his head, and mumbled, "Straight people... they always gotta put the ring in a dessert."

Felicity locked eyes with Oliver as he looked at her with a dopey smile and began to speak.

"Felicity, I can't wait any longer.  Will you--

"Yes!" She squealed as she shot up from her chair and dove into his arms.

Both overcome with emotion, they hugged each other tightly and shared a long, passionate kiss.  Everyone clapped and clinked glasses in celebration, while the happy couple separated long enough so that Oliver could actually put the ring back on her finger... this time for good.

"EEK!  My baby's getting married!" Donna shrieked as she came in-between them and hugged them both, jumping up and down excitedly as she did so.  Felicity was so ecstatic that she wasn't the least bit bothered by her mom's overreaction like she normally would have been.  Instead, Felicity just smiled and let her continue to enjoy the high of the moment.  "The timing is just perfect!  If we start planning right away, a year from now we can have the most perfect, most magical holiday wedding!"

"A holiday wedding sounds great, mom." Felicity agreed.

Oliver and Donna then went on a tangent about a dates, trying to decide whether the wedding should be during Hanukkah or on Christmas Eve or somewhere in between.  Felicity only half-listened as she stared happily at her sparkling engagement ring.  Between her fingers, the flowy skirt of her lacy, white dress caught her eye and an idea popped into Felicity's head.

"What about a Thanksgiving wedding?" She tossed out, letting her gaze bounce between Oliver and her mother.

" _Thanksgiving_?  That's not exactly a romantic holiday..." Donna began to argue but seeing how hopeful and happy her daughter looked, she relented.  "although, it would be the anniversary of your engagement, and, come to think of it, I just saw the cutest fall wreath on Pinterest.  It was pumpkin orange, olive green, and a chestnut brown with a dash of sparkle.  It would make the perfect wedding pallet!  I could use that color scheme to create an amazing fall harvest themed wedding with twinkly lights, autumn leaves, the whole shebang!"

Oliver looked to Felicity and waited for her to respond.  After all, he didn't care so much about the details.  As long as he got to make Felicity his wife, he was a happy man.

"Actually," Felicity began.  "I was thinking more like _this_ Thanksgiving."

"You mean today?" Donna asked incredulously, not expecting that turn of events.

"Yep."  Felicity smiled, popping the "p" for emphasis.

"Are you sure about this?" Oliver inquired curiously as his stomach turned in excitement.  Just the thought of marrying his girl right here, right now sent his heart racing into overdrive.

Felicity turned back toward Oliver and wrapped her arms around his waist as she replied, "You just said yourself you didn't want to wait any longer.  Well, neither do I.  I want to marry you, Oliver... as soon as possible.  And since I happen to know that our marriage license is still good and everyone we care about most is already here... today seems pretty perfect to me."

Oliver's indifferent expression cracked as a wide grin slowly spread across his face.  "Me too."  He beamed.  "Let's do it."

A rush of euphoria flowed through Felicity at her fiancé's words, causing her to lean forward and kiss him eagerly.  She couldn't be any happier in this moment if she tried.

"All right, people," Thea called out from the opposite end of the table, interrupting the romantic moment.  "If we are gonna do this, we are gonna do this right.  We need to find a minister and a proper wedding location ASAP."

"What's wrong with Rene's place?" Felicity questioned.

"It may be clean and beautifully decorated, thanks to Zoe and me, but it's entirely too small for a wedding ceremony."  Thea explained.

"I agree."  Donna nodded.  "Besides, If you are gonna practically elope and deprive me of planning this wedding, you can at least do it somewhere a bit classier... no offense."  She added the last bit for Rene's sake.  He just shrugged casually, not caring in the least.

"Where else are they supposed to go on such short notice, Don?" Quentin queried.

"What about city hall?" Curtis suggested.

"It's closed for the holiday." Dinah retorted.

"Besides, if space is what you need, an office in city hall isn't going to cut it." Diggle added.

"Dad," Zoe said, nudging Rene with her elbow.  "what about the roof?"

"That was supposed to be a surprise, Z." He teased with a playful jab of his own.

"What are you two talking about?" Thea wondered suspiciously, suddenly very curious about how they've been spending their father-daugter time.

Rene sighed then answered, "Zoe and I have been working on a little project the last few weeks."

"We redecorated the roof of our building.  It looks amazing."  Zoe bragged.  "Dad really knows his stuff.

"All I did was buy a few plants and hang up a few knickknacks."  Rene argued.  "Z, here, is the one with an eye for design." He added as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Here, check out the pics I took." Zoe spoke excitedly as she held out her cell phone.  Thea took it and scrolled through the pictures then passed the phone over to Felicity and Oliver.  There were only a few photos but they were all pretty incredible, showing off creative plant designs, a water fountain, and a couple other outdoor ornaments.

"Wow." Oliver praised.

"It looks fantastic, guys." Felicity added reassuringly.

"You really think so?" Zoe half-smiled.

Felicity looked to Oliver who nodded then moved her gaze back to Zoe, "We do.  In fact, I think we just found our wedding destination."

"Sweet." Zoe cheered then fist-bumped her dad.

"Okay, so we have a location."  Thea noted.  "What about the minister?"

"Just did a search online and found a reputable website." Curtis told them.  "Any one of us can be ordained in just a few clicks."

"Perfect."  Thea replied.  "So who's it gonna be?"

"I could do it." Donna offered.

"I'd love that, mom." Felicity said as she moved forward to grab to her mother's hands.  "But I was actually hoping you could do something else for me."

"Of course, sweetheart."  Donna replied.  "Whatever you want."

"Well,  I would _really_ love it if you would walk me down the aisle."  She smiled.  "I know it's typically a father's job, but you've been mother _and_ father to me for practically my whole life, so it feels only right that you be the one to give me away."

"Oh, Lissy," Donna uttered in surprise as her eyes pooled with happy tears.  "I'd be honored."  She answered finally before pulling her into a tight hug.

"Well, that takes care of that detail."  Dinah commented.

"Yeah, but we _still_ need a priest." Thea noted.

"I'll do it."  Lance spoke up loudly as he stood from the table, causing everyone to stare in his direction.

"Are you sure?" Oliver questioned.  They've become close friends over the last few years, but that didn't necessarily erase their past, their awkward messy past.

"Yeah, why not?  I could use an extra source of income these days."  Lance retorted as he made his way over to the happy couple.

" _Quentin_." Donna scolded, crossing her arms in disapproval.

"I'm kidding." Lance replied, resting a hand on Donna's back affectionately, then, on a more serious note, looked to Felicity and Oliver and said, "Look, I just want to see you kids happy.  You both mean a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to us too."  Felicity assured.

"I know," Lance nodded in understanding.  "but I _also_ know that if I'm not the one marrying you, I'll either be the only adult not in the wedding or wind up a groomsmen, both of which would just be plain awkward."

Oliver had to admit, Lance had him there.  So he nodded back curtly and said, "Fair enough."

As the men shook hands to seal the deal, Felicity asked, "Well, now that that is settled, what's the next step, my wedding planner-maid of honor-soon to be sister?"  Doing everything so spontaneously was a little overwhelming, so she was glad Thea was here to take charge.

"All right, everyone listen up.  Here's how this is going to go." Thea called out to the room full of people.  "The men and baby John will head up to the roof and make sure everything up there is good to go and do whatever else men do before a wedding.  Ladies and Zoe, we will stay down here for a bit to help the bride freshen up and look a bit more bridal.  We will all meet up on the roof in exactly thirty minutes.  Understood?"

Everyone either nodded, mock saluted, or verbalized their understanding somehow to placate Thea.  When she felt satisfied that they were all on the same page, she sent the two groups their separate ways and effectively kicked the men out of the apartment.  Once they were gone, she rubbed her hands together excitedly.

"Okay, ladies." Thea smiled.  "Let's do this."

*******

About fifteen minutes later, Felicity was sitting in the living room with her long hair now pulled up into an elegant up-do and a fresh coat of make-up on her face.  Looking into the hand mirror that Thea had brought out, she had to admit that she looked pretty good.  However, Felicity also felt that all this fuss over her was unnecessary and told her bridesmaids so.

"I don't want to hear it." Lyla said sternly, using her best mom voice.

"Me either.  You're the bride, and you deserve to be pampered."  Donna agreed.

"And as your bridesmaids, it's our job to pamper you.  So sit back and enjoy it."  Dinah tossed in her two cents.

"Well, my hair and makeup is finished.  What else is there to do?"  Felicity questioned.

"Glad you asked."  Thea replied.  "Put this on."  She instructed, handing her friend the bracelet she had been wearing.  It was a thin silver chain with a single arrow charm hanging from it.  "I got this shortly after I joined team arrow to remind me that life may pull you back at times, but it eventually launches you into something better.  Anyway, I thought you could use it as your something borrowed."

"Thea..."  She trailed off, sliding it onto her wrist.  "It's perfect.  Thank you." Felicity grabbed Thea's hand with her bracelet clad one and gave it a tender squeeze to show just how much she appreciated the gesture.

"My turn!" Donna chirped excitedly as she took off her old-fashioned, diamond studded earrings.  "I know these may not look like much, but they were your grandmother's."

"Oh, mom." Felicity muttered sweetly as her eyes began to water.  "They're beautiful."

Lyla followed suit, taking off her silver ring and giving it to Felicity, saying, "I just bought this yesterday.  There is no special meaning behind it or anything.  I just thought it looked cool."

Felicity smiled as she slipped the ring on her right hand.  It looked like a feather was delicately wrapped around her middle finger.  Lyla was right, it was cool looking.  She'd definitely have to buy one for herself.

"All right."  Thea spoke up.  "We got old, new, and borrowed.  Now, we just need something blue.  Zoe might have something around here..." She trailed off as she scanned the room and realized Zoe was nowhere in sight.

Meanwhile, Dinah, who was digging through her purse, pulled out a small bottle and said, "I've got blue nail polish."

"That'll work." Felicity nodded.

And with that, they all got to work.

Dinah painted her nails, while Donna touched up her makeup and Lyla and Felicity put the finishing touches on her hair.  A short while later, they were all chatting as Dinah completed the last coat of polish.  Just as she was putting the bottle away, Zoe came in with a big box in her hands.

"Hey, Zoe, whatcha got there?" Felicity asked her.

"Yeah, what exactly have you been up to, kiddo?"  Thea queried.

"Well, when I was showing you guys the pictures of the roof and all the plants, it got me thinking about flowers.  Every wedding needs flowers, so... tada!" Zoe cheered, pulling a large bouquet out the box and handing it to Felicity.

The centerpiece she had admired at the table earlier was now in her hands, or at least part of it was.  It made the perfect bouquet.  Felicity smiled as she took a whiff of the fresh flowery scent.

"You did an incredible job, Zoe."  She praised.  "Thank you."

Zoe beamed in response and began passing out smaller bouquets to the rest of the women.  As she got rid of the box, Felicity noticed they were short one.

"Where's your bouquet?" Felicity questioned.

"Right here." Zoe said, lifting up her digital camera.  "I thought I could be the photographer and take pictures of the ceremony.  If that's okay with you."

"It's more than okay." Felicity answered happily, then stood to give Zoe an appreciative hug.

As they were hugging, the alarm on Thea's phone went off.

Hitting the dismiss button, Thea called out to the room.  "It's go time people!"

At her command, they all stood and smoothed out their hair and dresses.  Then, they began making their way up to the roof.  Zoe went first, followed by the bridesmaids and Felicity.  On their way through the hall to the front door, Felicity caught her reflection in the large mirror hanging between two paintings.  She was speechless.  Seeing herself all done up, holding a bouquet, and wearing a white dress, made butterflies fly madly in her stomach.  She was a bride.  She was getting married.  To Oliver.  Today.

"Honey?  You ready?"  Donna wondered aloud as she waited impatiently for her daughter.

Turning to her mother, Felicity grinned and said honestly, "I've never been more ready for anything in my entire life."

Sharing a warm smile, they linked arms and continued to the roof, where Donna would finally see her little princess become a Queen.

*******

Oliver was standing on the roof nervously, rubbing his thumbs against his forefingers.  He and the guys had moved some things around and everything was all set for a wedding.  _His_ wedding.  He still couldn't believe it.

Diggle, who had been tossing John Jr. in the air and making him giggle, turned to Oliver with his son in his arms and said, "Relax, man."

"Is it that obvious?" Oliver questioned.

"You doing the finger thing again."  Dig pointed out.  "You're also looking green... and not in the usual way."

Oliver rolled his eyes at the lame joke then said, "I want to marry Felicity.  That was the whole point of proposing.  I just...  I didn't think it would happen this fast."

"None of us did."  Diggle agreed.  "But it doesn't matter.  Whether the wedding is today or a year from today, nerves are bound to happen.  Trust me, I've been there."

"He's right."  Lance interjected.  "It's only natural to be nervous.  You just have to remind yourself that it's a good kind of nervous."

"And then you embrace it."  Diggle finished.  "Embrace the happiness, Oliver."

"Lord knows we don't get enough of it around here."  Lance commented only half-joking.

Just then Rene came over into the group.

"I got the music all set."  Rene informed them.  "I knew those surround sound speakers would come in handy." He added more quietly to no one in particular.

"You really went all out up here." Oliver noted, scanning the rooftop once more with an appreciative eye.

"Eh, it's nothing." Rene brushed off.  "Now, look.  I got Bluetooth all hooked up on my phone.  So, as soon as Thea gives me the go ahead text,  I can just press play, and we'll be good to go."

"Almost."  Curtis chimed in as he made his way from the rooftop entrance to his friends.  Stopping next to Oliver, he said, "Everyone needs one of these first."

"What are they?" Lance asked with a furrowed brow as he stared at the platter of leaves and pinecone bits that Curtis was holding.

"Boutonnières." Curtis answered.

"So, that's where you ran off to."  Diggle said.  "You said you needed to use the can about twenty minutes ago.  I was starting to get a little concerned."  He quipped.

"I did use the bathroom,"  Curtis clarified.  "but on my way out, I ran into Zoe who was making bouquets for the ladies out of the vases of flowers on the dinner table, and I got inspired."

"They look great, Curtis." Oliver assured, meaning every word.

"If by great you mean they look like the woods choked on glitter and threw up..."  Rene teased.

"Hey, I worked hard on these... with limited materials might I add."  Curtis defended.

"Chill man, I messing with you."  Rene relented.  "They actually look pretty cool."

"Very festive." Diggle agreed.

Then Lance added with a nod, "Good work, kid."

"Thanks." Curtis replied as he began passing out the boutonnières one by one.  "I am definitely thankful for glue guns this year."

Turning to set the tray on a nearby ledge, he picked up the one that was left began pinning it on his sweater vest.  It was quiet for a moment as they all put on their flowers.  Once Rene had his own on, a thought occurred to him.

 "Wait a minute..." Rene spoke up.  "Zoe doesn't have a glue gun."

"I know, I used my own."  Curtis answered simply.

All of the men suddenly looked at him, each with their own quizzical expression.  Curtis just rolled his eyes and said dryly, "So, I carry a glue gun in my satchel in case of emergencies.  Sue me."

At that, the guys couldn't help but smile as they shared amused looks and tried to stifle their laugher.

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh."  Curtis continued.  "Just remember, thought it may not be the typical side piece one carries around the city, I was still able to use it to save the day."

"We aren't laughing at you." Oliver tried to comfort him.  "I promise."

"Yeah, we're laughing with you." Diggle replied with cheeky grin.  "Right JJ?" He cooed to the toddler in his arms.

"Actually-- Rene began, all ready with a sarcastic comment but was cut off abruptly by the beeping of his cell phone before he could finish his thought.

"Saved by the beep." Quentin muttered knowingly as he nodded at Curtis who returned the gesture with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Rene tapped a few keys on his cell then hit send.  Looking back to the guys, he said, "The ladies are on their way up.  It's show time!"

On that note, their conversation was effectively ended and all the men took their places.  Quentin moved to stand in between two elegant, three-tiered grapevine topiaries that were placed at the end of the improvised aisle, which was made of strategically swept fall leaves.  Oliver stood off to his left followed by his best man, Dig, then Rene and Curtis.  Once they were all set, Rene cued up the music.  Just as the soft violin music flowed out of the speakers, Zoe came into view and snapped a few pictures before fading into the background for the rest of her photographer duty.  Seconds later, Thea rounded the corner and began walking down the aisle.  When she got to the end, she took her place across from Diggle on Lance's right and watched the rest of the girls follow suit.  Next came Lyla, Dinah, and then, arm in arm with her mother, Felicity finally appeared.

Oliver instantly smiled as he watched fiancée make her way toward him.  He thought she looked beautiful before in what seemed like just another white dress, but seeing her now, all gussied up and flowers in hand, Felicity looked truly radiant and her A Line, three-quarter sleeved dress very bridal.  Not that it really mattered what she was wearing.  She could be wearing a garbage bag, and Oliver would still be beaming with pride and excitement.  As long as they got married, and he could finally call Felicity his wife, that was all that really mattered in his book.

Moments later, Felicity was at the end of the aisle being given away by a teary-eyed Donna Smoak.  After kissing her mother lovingly on the cheek, they went their separate ways.  Donna stood in line with the bridesmaids as Felicity took Oliver's hand and faced Quentin, ready for the ceremony to officially begin.

Lance kept the ceremony short and sweet.  He spoke a few kind words about love and commitment and then went straight to the vows.  Taking his fiancée's bouquet and handing it to Thea, Oliver then intertwined both his hands with Felicity's and took the liberty of going first.

"I didn't know it at the time," Oliver started thoughtfully.  "but walking into the IT department with a broken laptop that day five years ago was the best thing that ever happened to me... because I met _you_.  You changed my life, Felicity.  You reminded me that there was still good in the world, that there was still good in _me,_ and you have done so every day since.  You have always believed in me, and you have always been there for me as my partner, friend, girlfriend, and, most importantly, my light.  You are my light in the darkness that guides me through the trying times and makes every day brighter.  I can't do what I do every day without you.  I can't be _me_ without you.  And so, from this day forward, I planning on spending the rest of my life making you see, feel, and completely understand just how amazing and important you are.  I love you, Felicity."

A happy tear was streaming down her cheek, but Felicity didn't dare let go of his hand to wipe it away.  Instead, she let it fall and squeezed him tighter.  Taking a deep breath, Felicity calmed herself and began her own vows.

"A few minutes ago, my mom asked me if I was ready to walk down the aisle."  Felicity began, letting her heart do the talking.  "I told her that I have never been more ready for anything in my entire life... because I knew _you_ were waiting for me at the other end.  You are the most incredible man I have ever met.  You have always had a way of making me feel safe, appreciated, and special.  You have always made me feel like I can do anything.  And it's for those reasons and so much more that I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you.  I love you, Oliver."

Oliver was smiling even wider now as he fought back tears of his own.  However, before he could do or say anything, Quentin took control once more and moved things along.  Since there was no time to get wedding rings, he just moved right to the I dos.

"Oliver, do you take Felicity Megan Smoak to be your lawful wedded wife in sickness and in heath, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse as long as you both shall live?" Lance asked, looking at the groom.

"I do." Oliver stated forcefully, eyes never leaving his bride.

Nodding appreciatively, Lance turned to Felicity and questioned, "Felicity, do you take Oliver Jonas Queen to be your lawful wedded husband in sickness and in heath, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Felicity answered just as certainly as her groom.

"Well, then."  Quentin beamed.  "By the power vested in me by the internet site on Curtis's phone, I now pronounce you--"  He paused suddenly as he watched Oliver pulled Felicity flush against him and kiss her deeply.  Beaten to the punch by the happy couple, he simply smirked and finished, "...husband and wife.  You may keep kissing the bride."

Their friends and family all clapped in celebration as they had a good chuckle at the couple's hastiness.

Oliver ignored their teasing laughter.  He just did as Lance said and kept on kissing his bride.

*******

A short while later everyone was enjoying some champagne and music on the roof as they watched Oliver and Felicity share their first dance as husband and wife to the song "I Believe in You" by Michael Buble, which was perfectly picked by Thea of course.

As the song came to an end and the couple's dancing slowed, Diggle passed JJ over to Lyla.  Signaling for Rene to cut the music, Dig tapped on his champagne flute with his pocket knife to gather everyone's attention.  When everybody moved closer, he put his knife away and finally spoke up.

"I'd like to make a toast." He told them.  "To Oliver and Felicity, my closest friends, I just want to say... thank, god!  It's about time you two tied the knot."

"Amen!" Lance chimed in as everyone had a good laugh.

"In all seriousness though,"  Diggle continued.  "I am really happy for both of you, and I wish you a long and happy life together.  Cheers."

"Cheers!" The gang echoed, raising their glasses and taking a swig of the sweet, bubbly liquid.

"Okay, Okay.  My turn." Thea called out to the small crowd, and they all quieted down once more.  "Ollie, Lis... I know that both of you have been through a lot over the last few years.  In fact, you two have endured more hardship in your entire lifetime than most.  But I think it was worth it because all the crazy ups and downs and twists and turns you both faced led you to _this_ moment, right here, right now.  Fate brought the two of you together.  It brought us all together, and I can't wait to see where it takes us next.  To fate."  She finished raising her glass.

"To fate."  They all repeated, mimicking her hand gesture and drinking another sip of champagne.

Oliver took an extra moment to kiss his wife then cleared his throat and spoke up, "Felicity and I have something to say."

"We just want to thank all of you guys,"  Felicity took over.  "For helping us throw this wedding together so quickly and for being the greatest friends and family we could ask for."

"I think I speak for everyone when I say we are just happy that you two are happy."  Curtis assured.

"Yeah," Thea agreed.  "I, for one, couldn't be more thrilled for either of you... even if I do have to live with a pair of lovey-dovey newlyweds for the foreseeable future."

"Actually, Dad and I may have a solution to that." Zoe informed them then looked between Thea and her father with a cheeky smile.

Rene hesitated briefly, but once Zoe gave him an encouraging wink, he smiled then turned in the opposite direction to face Thea.  Placing a hand on Zoe's shoulder, he said, "Zoe and I have been talking lately, and we were wondering if you would want to... maybe... move in with us?"

Thea was speechless for a long moment, but eventually managed to speak up.

"That's so sweet," She began.  "but I don't want you to feel like you have to offer because of what I said about Oliver and Felicity.  I was kidding."

"I know, and I'm not."  Rene retorted.  "It's like I said before, Zoe and I have been talking about this for a while.  In fact, the roof redecorating was supposed to be a surprise gift for you to entice you into staying with us permanently."

"You did all this... for me?"  Thea asked in disbelief as she looked around roof once more.  It was truly beautiful, especially now that the sun had set and different fixtures were beginning to light up along with the twinkle lights that lined the outsides of the rooftop.

"Yep," Zoe chimed in.  "Dad mentioned you had a thing for rooftops, so I suggested we spruce up our own to show you just how important you are to both of us."

"So, what do you say?" Rene asked, feeling like he had swallowed a whole eclipse of moths.

Thea looked from his nervously sweet expression to Zoe's excited one and something hit her.  It was a weird, yet familiar feeling in her chest.  She would feel it at work from time to time, but couldn't quite place it until now.  It was longing.  She had been longing for a family, a family that was truly hers that she could count on to be there for her no matter what.  Something she didn't have a whole lot of experience with... but now she could and she would.

"Yes."  Thea beamed.  "I love you guys, and I would really love to move in with you."

The three of them proceeded to have a small group hug as the rest of the crew toasted _them_ this time.

Pulling back but not letting go of Rene, Thea tossed out, "Looks like the apartment is all yours now, love birds."

"It would seem so."  Felicity smiled.

Oliver wasn't smiling.  He wasn't frowning either.  He was just... Oliver.

"Everything okay, _husband_?" Felicity asked, drawing out the latter.

The corners of his mouth quirked up a bit at her word choice.  Man, he loved hearing her call him that.  "I'm just not so sure I like the idea of my little sister living with a guy."

"Seriously, Oliver?"  Felicity retorted.

"It's okay, Lis." Thea said.  "He just likes being difficult.  Fortunately, it doesn't matter what he thinks."

"Besides," Rene interjected.  "He's knows I'm not just any guy.  I'm his mini me, his twin, his brother from another mother... isn't that right, Oliver?"

Oliver's face flushed slightly as he furrowed his brow furrowed in confusion and asked, "Wait, how did you--" He paused a moment as it all became clear.  " _Felicity_..." He trailed off, his tone full of warning.

"You know, I'd love to stay and chat, but I think it's time to throw the bouquet." She uttered quickly then dashed away.  After another round of laughter, the women followed suit and headed to the open area turned dance floor right behind the bride.  A couple of minutes later, Donna caught the bouquet and all the teasing turned to Quentin, much to his dismay and Oliver's relief. 

Everyone began dancing shortly after as the music came back on and Maroon 5's "Sugar" blared out of the speakers.  They were all having a blast, including Felicity who was giggling and clapping as she watched Curtis and Rene battle it out on the dance floor.  She was so entranced by their little duel that she nearly jumped when Oliver came up behind her and whispered, "Don't think I've forgotten about earlier.  I _will_ get you back for that voice recording, Mrs. Queen."

"Okay, one... I have no idea what you are talking about," She lied horribly then continued.  "two, I haven't decided whether I'm changing my name, and three... shut up and dance with me, my husband." She finished as she spun around in his arms to face him.

Oliver smiled, he wasn't the least bit mad at her.  He was in such a great mood, it would be impossible to actually be angry with Felicity, especially over something so trivial.  Instead, he pulled her closer and said happily, "Anything for my wife."

Soon enough they were dancing the night away with everyone else.  About an hour later, it was getting chilly and people were getting hungry again, so they all agreed to move the party back down stairs.  Oliver held the door open as his friends and family exited the rooftop one by one.  Felicity was the last one to exit, but before she could, Oliver pulled her back and shut the door.

"What are you doing?" Felicity questioned with a quizzical yet amused expression.

Dragging her a step toward him, Oliver explained, "I just thought it would be nice to have a moment alone."

"Oh, well in that case, lead the way."  Felicity responded approvingly.

Hand in hand, they kept on walking as Oliver led Felicity through the "dance floor" to the far edge of the roof.  Stopping a couple feet away, Oliver pulled her in front of him, pressing her back into his front and wrapped his arms around her tenderly.  She leaned into him contentedly, enjoying the warmth radiating from his body and the comfort of his embrace.

"It's amazing."  Felicity said as she stared out at the stretch of city in front of her, watching the lights twinkle in congratulations.  "This whole day has been amazing."

"Yes." Oliver agreed, kissing her affectionately on the neck right below her earlobe.  As he did so, he smoothly undid her hair do with one hand, letting her hair fall back down to her shoulders and said, "It has."

"What's really amazing, though, is how one moment can change everything."  Felicity went on, enjoying the feel of his hand running through her hair.  "Like me moving to Star City... or you coming to me with a broken laptop."  She added with a sweet smile as she thought back to his wedding vows.

"Some things are just meant to be." Oliver replied sweetly, wrapping both his arms around her once more.  "It's like Thea said, fate brought us together."

"It definitely did."  She answered.  "I mean, ever since our lives collided, we've never been able to truly separate ourselves from each other.  We have always been attached... as colleagues, teammates, roommates, boyfriend and girlfriend...

"...husband and wife." Oliver tossed in with a big smile.

"Yes, husband and wife,"  Felicity repeated joyfully as she intertwined their hands and pressed them against her chest, keeping him close to her heart.  "and even..."  She began to add but quickly cut herself off before her babbling went too far.

"And even what?" He asked curiously.

"Nothing."  She said curtly.

"Fe-li-ci-ty," Oliver drew out her name, distinctly enunciating each syllable as he pulled her impossibly closer and kissed her neck again.  "Tell me what's going on in that beautiful brain of yours."  He ordered lovingly as he kissed the other side of her neck.  "We agreed to be honest with each other, remember?"

Unable to argue with his logic and unfair kissing tactics, Felicity took a deep breath and studied the skyline intently as she responded seriously, "There is something I've been meaning to tell you, Oliver."

"What is it?" He questioned just as seriously, peeking at her over her shoulder to attempt to read her profile and the emotions it held.

Unfortunately for him, Felicity kept her face neutral.  She didn't even speak.  Instead, Felicity replied by fixing her grip on Oliver's hands, moving them downward, and placing his palms on the lower part of her stomach.

It was quiet for a long moment as Oliver processed what this meant.  It couldn't be... could it? Not entirely sure what to think, or say for that matter, he just questioned softly, "Felicity?"

In a tone barely above a whisper, she revealed in no uncertain terms, "You're going to be a father, Oliver."

Oliver, whose thumbs had been stroking Felicity's stomach, froze.  In his arms right now wasn't just his wife... but also his child.  _His_ child.  The child he made with Felicity.  His heart swelled as it nearly burst with joy.  "We're having a baby?" He said finally as his eyes pooled with happy tears.

"Well, technically _I'm_ the one that's actually having the baby... but yeah.  We are."  She answered with a small smile.

Not able to hold off any longer, he whirled her around in his arms and kissed her passionately.  After a moment, he pulled back and stared at his wife in awe as he cradled her face gently in his hands.

"So, I take it you're happy about this?"  She asked as she bit her lip.

"Happy is a bit of an understatement."  He answered truthfully then queried, "How long have you known?"

"I'm  about five and a half weeks along, but I've only known for a few days."  Felicity told him as she played with the hairs on the nape of his neck.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"  Oliver wondered aloud.

"Well, I needed some time to process this myself, and I wanted to wait for the right moment."  She explained.

"That's understandable." He smiled and nodded.

"You know, I had the idea of us going around the table to say what we're thankful for, and then when it was my turn I was say that I am thankful for you and our baby, but before I could, you were proposing, and then the wedding was happening..."  Felicity trailed off.

"I get it.  It's been a crazy day."  Oliver understood, sliding his hands down to rest on her hips, letting his thumbs stroke her stomach and, in essence, their baby.

"I'm honestly a little surprised you didn't figure it out on your own."  She smirked.

"We'll, now that I think about it, there were some signs."  Oliver said.  "Like the lack of drinking lately and the random 'food poisoning' from Big Belly Burger the other day, but I guess I've been so focused on planning the perfect re-proposal, I just didn't think to question it."

"Well, now that we have gone through both the engagement and the wedding all in one day, we have plenty of time to ask questions and figure everything out."  Felicity told him.

"Exactly."  He grinned.

"So, I know you said you were happy about this, but are you nervous at all?  It's okay if you are because I've kind of been freaking out about it."  She revealed.

"A little..." Oliver replied with the understatement of the year.  "but I keep reminding myself that it's a good kind of nervous and to embrace the happiness."

"That's a pretty great way of thinking about it."  Felicity replied, placing a small kiss on his jaw line.

Oliver nodded.  He had some pretty smart friends.  After another moment of relishing the feeling of a pregnant Felicity in his arms, he asked the obvious, "So, should we tell the rest of them?"

Felicity thought for a few seconds before responding.  "Not yet, let's just keep this to ourselves for a little while."  She answered, sliding her hands to his chest to play with his shirt buttons as she looked at him affectionately.

"Deal."  Oliver agreed, liking the idea of them having their own little secret.  "We should probably head back down anyway though."

"We will."  Felicity told him.  "Right after we embrace a little more happiness."  She smirked before sliding her hands back around his neck and pulling him in for a deep kiss.  He eagerly obliged as his hands slid to her back, caressing her porcelain skin through the lacy material.

As Oliver kissed Felicity under the moonlight, he thought about how in the course of one day he became both a husband and a father.  Excitement swirled in his stomach along with several other emotions.  Thinking back to Quentin's words of wisdom, he realized something important.  What he was feeling right now wasn't just a good kind of nervous.  It was the _best_ kind... and he definitely planned on embracing all the happiness that came with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Thanks to those of you that hung in there with me and enjoyed the ride to the very end. I hope you liked reading this story. I definitely liked writing it. I don't do multi-chapters very often because they take a lot of time and effort. However, I think this story was worth it. I tried to go all out with this last chapter as a thank you to my olicity-shipping friends for reading and liking my work and for putting up with all the crap the Arrow writers have thrown our way regarding Oliver and Felicity's relationship. As always, don't be afraid to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you all!
> 
> P.S. I apologize that this latest update took so long, but work kept me busy, and I also wanted to make sure to get it just right and give everybody the happy ending they deserve! (Characters and fans alike!)
> 
> P.P.S. Olicity is truly the best ship ever! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Keep checking in for the next chapter!
> 
> P.S. Don't be afraid to drop a comment or kudos to let me know what you think!
> 
> P.P.S. Olicity is FOREVER!


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